Optiquel® as Corticosteroid-sparing Therapy for Chronic Noninfectious Uveitis

Study Summary

Background: Uveitis is a serious inflammatory condition in which the body's immune system attacks parts of the eye, often causing vision loss. Uveitis treatments involve various drugs that suppress the immune system, but these medicines sometimes do not work or may cause serious side effects. Researchers are interested in developing new treatments for uveitis that are more effective and have fewer side effects. Optiquel® is an experimental medication being tested for its effectiveness against uveitis. It contains B27PD, a small protein fragment, which is similar to proteins in the parts of the eye being attacked by the immune system. Taking Optiquel® (B27PD) by mouth may induce oral tolerance, in which the immune system is taught to recognize and not attack normal parts of the human body. Objectives: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of B27PD (Optiquel®) as a treatment for uveitis. Eligibility: Individuals at least 18 years of age who have had noninfectious uveitis in one or both eyes for at least 3 months, have vision of 20/200 or better in at least one eye, and are taking daily prednisone or an equivalent medication. Design: Participants will be screened with a physical examination, medical history, blood and urine tests, and an eye exam. This study will last a maximum of 52 weeks. During the first 12 weeks of the study, participants will have a study visit every 2 weeks. For the remainder of the study, participants will have a study visit every 4 weeks. Participants will have frequent blood and urine tests, and will also have eye examinations and special procedures (fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography) to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. Participants will be randomly assigned into one of three groups and will receive either one of two different doses of B27PD or a placebo. During the study, participants will also have their dose of prednisone or other steroid medication reduced. Participants will take one capsu

Primary Outcome

Recurrence (or flare) is defined as an anterior chamber cells and/or vitreous haze grading of ≥ 2+ using the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) grading system. The time to this event is defined as the time from randomization to recurrence, loss to follow-up or end of study, whichever comes first. Participants that do not present with disease recurrence will be censored at the time of the last disease evaluation.

Conditions Studied

Interventions

• DRUG Placebo
• DRUG B27PD

Study Locations (1)