Extension Study for the Evaluation of Finasteride in the Treatment of Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants.
Sponsor:
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) ( National Eye Institute (NEI) )
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT01227993
First received: October 22, 2010
Last updated: May 1, 2013
Last verified: June 2012
  Purpose

Background:

  • Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a disease in which fluid accumulates under the retina and can cause distorted vision. CSC often resolves on its own without treatment, but in chronic CSC the persists and can lead to permanent visual loss. Chronic CSC may partly be caused by hormones called androgens, such as testosterone.
  • Finasteride is a drug that can block the effects of androgens; currently it is marketed as a treatment for male pattern baldness and benign prostate enlargement. The results of a previous brief study suggest that finasteride is safe and may help reduce the effects of chronic CSC. However, more long-term data are needed to evaluate whether finasteride is a safe and effective treatment for chronic CSC.

Objectives:

- To collect more data on the safety and effectiveness of finasteride as a treatment for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy.

Eligibility:

- Individuals who previously participated in NIH protocol 09-EI-0075, Pilot Study for the Evaluation of Finasteride in the Treatment of Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy, and demonstrated clinical improvement on finasteride treatment.

Design:

  • The study requires 11 visits to the NEI outpatient clinic over 5 years, with visits occurring every 6 months. Participants will be screened with a medical history, physical examination, eye examination, and blood and urine tests.
  • At each visit, participants will receive a supply of finasteride pills to take every day and will need to bring any leftover finasteride pills to the following visit.
  • Participants will have eye examinations to test vision, eye pressure, eye movements, and retinal thickness. Additional eye examinations will evaluate the retina's sensitivity to light and study the blood vessels and flow of blood in the eyes.
  • Blood and urine samples will be taken throughout the study.
  • After the end of the study, participants may be able to speak to their doctor about continuing finasteride treatments with a prescription.

Condition Intervention Phase
Retinal Disease
Drug: Finasteride
Phase 2

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Allocation: Non-Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: Extension Study for the Evaluation of Finasteride in the Treatment of Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

Resource links provided by NLM:


Further study details as provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC):

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • Change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at two years compared to baseline [ Time Frame: will assess at 2 and 5 years ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

Secondary Outcome Measures:
  • Annual changes in BCVA, changes in subretinal fluid volume, leakage, plaque size, fundus autofluorescence patterns and microperimetry patterns, as well as changes in serum levels of testosterone and DHT and urine levels of cortisol from baseline [ Time Frame: will assess at 2 and 5 years ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

Enrollment: 3
Study Start Date: October 2010
Estimated Study Completion Date: October 2015
Primary Completion Date: December 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Intervention Details:
    Drug: Finasteride
    N/A
Detailed Description:

Objective:

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a retinal disorder characterized by an accumulation of serous fluid under the retina. Although acute CSC tends to spontaneously resolve on its own with minimal sequelae, chronic CSC tends to persist and lead to irreversible visual loss. The pathogenesis of CSC is complex; however, systemic androgens have been implicated. A recent NIH protocol (09-EI-0075), Pilot Study for the Evaluation of Finasteride in the Treatment of Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy, suggested that finasteride, an anti-androgen medication that is widely used in the treatment of various other conditions, may be efficacious as a treatment for chronic CSC. The objective of this study is to continue evaluation of participants in the completed NIH protocol 09-EI-0075 who clinically responded to treatment with finasteride.

Study Population:

Up to five participants previously enrolled in NIH protocol 09-EI-0075 who demonstrated clinical improvement on finasteride treatment.

Design:

This is a 5-year pilot extension study to allow participants who demonstrated clinical improvement with finasteride for chronic CSC to continue receiving finasteride as an off-label treatment. Study visits will occur every six months over the 5-year duration. Participants will receive finasteride when they have serous fluid present, unless deemed chronic non-responders (defined as serous fluid unchanged as compared to baseline or serous fluid stabilized with no further improvement while on finasteride treatment).

Outcome Measures:

The primary outcome will be the change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at two years compared to baseline. Secondary outcome measures include the annual changes in BCVA, changes in subretinal fluid volume as measured on optical coherence tomography (OCT) (a 30% reduction in subretinal fluid from baseline is considered a treatment success by NEI standards), changes in leakage as observed on fluorescein angiography (FA), changes in plaque size as observed on indocyanine green angiography (ICG), changes in fundus autofluorescence patterns as observed on fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging, changes in microperimetry patterns, changes in serum levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), as well as changes in urine levels of cortisol.

  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years and older
Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No
Criteria
  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Participant previously participated in NIH protocol 09-EI-0075, Pilot Study for the Evaluation of Finasteride in the Treatment of Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy, and demonstrated clinical improvement, as indicated by a reduction in subretinal fluid as measured on OCT.

Participant has subretinal fluid present in the macula that has a volume of at least 0.1 microliter causing visual change (such as reduced acuity, metamorphopsia or microperimetry deficits) and warrants treatment.

Participant must understand and sign the protocol's informed consent document.

Participant agrees to take the appropriate precautions to ensure that persons who are pregnant, nursing or of childbearing potential do not handle the finasteride tablets. (All of the NIH protocol 09-EI-0075 participants were male given the male predilection of this disease.)

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Participant has abnormal liver function testing (LFT) as defined by elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels that are greater than twice the respective upper limits of normal (ULN) (i.e., ALT greater than 82 U/L and/or AST greater than 68 U/L). If a participant has ALT or AST levels greater than twice the ULN, the participant can be enrolled only if cleared by hepatology.

Participant is on steroid medication (oral, topical or inhaled).

  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01227993

Locations
United States, Maryland
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
Sponsors and Collaborators
Investigators
Principal Investigator: Catherine Meyerle, M.D. National Eye Institute (NEI)
  More Information

Additional Information:
Publications:
Responsible Party: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) ( National Eye Institute (NEI) )
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01227993     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: 110012, 11-EI-0012
Study First Received: October 22, 2010
Last Updated: May 1, 2013
Health Authority: United States: Federal Government

Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC):
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Finasteride
Proscar
Retinal Eye Disease

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Retinal Diseases
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Eye Diseases
Finasteride
5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Pharmacologic Actions

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on June 17, 2013