Doheny Clinical Trials

Clinical trials serve as the all-important testing grounds for new eye disease treatments. No treatment will find its way to patients unless it first passes rigorous examinations conducted by experienced scientists who demand proof of the effectiveness of each treatment and its measurable benefits to patients.

The men and women who make themselves available for such studies perform an indispensable service that ultimately helps doctors and their patients. Clinical trial participants act as co-investigators in many ways, offering vital, subjective input that scientific testing cannot provide. As astute observers of their own physiology, they detect slight changes that offer valuable insights, leading doctors toward important conclusions.

In trials of Doheny’s retinal implant, doctors are witnessing how participants who lost vision from retinitis pigmentosa are learning to see. Patients implanted with the retinal chip saw at first only indistinguishable patches of light and dark. With assistance, however, they are associating recognizable objects with what their artificial eyes now see. Patients can navigate around their homes and even read letters of the alphabet.

Testing innovative treatment concepts at Doheny would not be possible without the generous contributions made by many groups and individuals. The Ahmanson Foundation recently provided a major grant to support a new Clinical Trials Center. This vital seed money will help ramp up the expansion of trials and accelerate delivery of vital treatments to patients.

More stringent government regulations, together with Doheny’s aggressive research agenda, demand more resources to help the Institute reach its goals. More than 20 clinical trials have been scheduled over the next 5 years. These trials will test several treatments, including: anti-growth factor therapy that has shown the ability to both stabilize vision loss and improve vision; nutritional supplements in age-related macular degeneration; steroid therapy – alone and combined with other therapies; androgen therapy for dry eye syndrome; the artificial retina.

Following clinical details are for informational use only.

Macular Degeneration	Retinal Vein Occlusion
Infectious Disease	Low Vision
Cornea	Photographic Studies
Diabetic Retinopathy	Glaucoma
Uveitis