Funding awarded for clinical trial of vitamin treatment for Glaucoma

A team led by Ted Garway-Heath at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, has been awarded a £1.9 million grant for a four-year clinical trial to test the effectiveness of nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3) in a pill format as a treatment for Glaucoma.

Current treatment for Glaucoma includes eye drops, laser treatment and surgery. These treatments aim to reduce pressure in the eye, thereby reducing damage to the optic nerve. Although glaucoma cannot be cured, current treatments can slow and sometimes halt its progression.

The new study will use a seahorse analyser, a machine that allows scientists to look at mitochondrial function within cells – which is vital for this particular study. The trial builds on collaborative research, showing that patients with both high- and low-tension Glaucoma, have lower mitochondrial function than healthy patients; and that patients with ocular hypertension (higher than normal pressure inside the eye), but no signs of progression to Gla

ucoma, have higher mitochondrial function.

The trial will recruit around 500 Glaucoma patients across seven UK sites, with a pilot study starting at Moorfields and Kings College Hospital in London. If treatment with nicotinamide proves successful, it could significantly reduce the damage to vision caused by Glaucoma and the cost of treatment for the NHS.

Prof. Ted Garway-Heath said: “We hope to find a treatment that isn’t directed at pressure in the eye, but that addresses the susceptibility of the patient to Glaucoma. We also hope to identify a blood test to identify which patients will benefit from the new treatment.”

The trial has been funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme. The programme funds studies that evaluate interventions that have the potential to make a significant change in the promotion of health, treatment of disease and improvement of rehabilitation or long-term care.