New hope for diabetic eye disease? Real-World study tests steroid implant
NCT ID NCT05978622
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This observational study follows about 236 adults with diabetic macular edema (DME) who did not respond well to anti-VEGF injections and are now starting treatment with a dexamethasone implant (DEX-I). The implant slowly releases steroid medication into the eye. Researchers will track how many additional anti-VEGF injections patients need over 18 months in routine clinical practice. The goal is to understand real-world effectiveness of switching to DEX-I.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- dexamethasone intravitreal implant (DEX-I)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could show that switching to a dexamethasone implant is a useful option for people with diabetic macular edema who don't respond well to standard anti-VEGF injections.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a controlled trial, so it cannot prove cause and effect. Results may be influenced by patient selection and real-world variability.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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236 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2023
- Finished
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Aug 2026
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Adult participants with diabetic macular edema and sub-optimal response to anti-VEGF therapy.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Participant diagnosed with DME in the study eye * Study eye has received at least 3 and no more than 9 anti-VEGF injections in the 12 months prior to DEX-I initiation * Study eye newly prescribed DEX-I. The prescribing decision lies with the physician and reflects their standard practice * Participant showing a suboptimal response to anti-VEGF at Baseline in the study eye Exclusion Criteria: * Any concomitant ocular or neurologic condition in the study eye that could cause macular edema or affect vision (except cataract) * History of ocular surgery within 60 days of Baseline in the study eye * History of Pan-Retinal Photocoagulation (PRP) or sectorial photocoagulation in the study eye in the 3 months prior to Baseline * Significant media opacities in the study eye limiting Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) quality * Uncontrolled Ocular Hypertension (OHT) or advanced glaucoma in the study eye * Active ocular inflammation in either eye * Study eyes that are aphakic with Posterior Capsule Rent (PCR), Anterior Chamber Intraocular Lens (ACIOL), iris or scleral-fixed Intraocular Lens (IOL) or history of complicated cataract surgery with PCR * Prior use of intravitreal corticosteroids in the study eye * Patients with contraindications to DEX-I
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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ASU FC - P.O. Universitario Santa Maria della Misericordia /ID# 256293
Udine, 33100, Italy
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Augenzentrum Am Johannisplatz /ID# 255754
Leipzig, 04103, Germany
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Augenzentrum Frankfurt /ID# 255576
Frankfurt am Main, 60549, Germany
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Augenzentrum Frohe Zukunft /ID# 256290
Halle, 06118, Germany
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Augenzentrum Prinz 25 /ID# 261090
Augsburg, 86150, Germany
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Bradford Teaching hospitals/ Bradford macular centre /ID# 260909
Bradford, BD5 0JD, United Kingdom
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CHR de la Citadelle /ID# 257254
Liège, 4000, Belgium
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CHU Saint Pierre /ID# 257650
Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium
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Centro Hospitalar do Baixo Vouga /ID# 264421
Porto, 3814-501, Portugal
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China Medical University Hospital /ID# 262427
Taichung, 40447, Taiwan
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Dres. Schubert/Wissmann /ID# 261598
Ettlingen, 76275, Germany
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East Cheshire NHS Trust /ID# 270263
Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 3BL, United Kingdom
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Eye Clinic of Athens /ID# 258749
Athens, 10672, Greece
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Far Eastern Memorial Hospital /ID# 262428
New Taipei City, 22060, Taiwan
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Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS-Universita Cattolica /ID# 258134
Rome, Roma, 00168, Italy
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General Hospital of Lamia /ID# 265442
Lamia, 35100, Greece
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Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust /ID# 256886
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53 7AN, United Kingdom
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Great Western Hospital /ID# 258467
Swindon, SN3 6BB, United Kingdom
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Hospital de Santa Maria Maior, EPE /ID# 261063
Barcelos, Braga District, 4750-275, Portugal
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IRCCS Fondazione G.B. Bietti per lo studio e la ricerca in Oftalmologia- ONLUS /ID# 258039
Rome, Roma, 00184, Italy
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Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital /ID# 262429
Kaohsiung City, 813, Taiwan
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Kaplan Medical Center /ID# 265471
Rehovot, Central District, 7660101, Israel
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Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital /ID# 256091
Taoyuan City, 333, Taiwan
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Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust /ID# 260230
Liverpool, Merseyside, L9 7AL, United Kingdom
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MVZ Augenzentrum am Berliner Ring /ID# 267412
Würzburg, Bavaria, 97080, Germany
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MVZ der Klinik Dardenne GmbH Makulazentrum /ID# 269798
Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, 53177, Germany
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Moorfields Eye Hospital /ID# 258465
London, Greater London, EC1V 2PD, United Kingdom
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National Taiwan University Hospital /ID# 262426
Taipei, 100, Taiwan
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Opthalmica SA /ID# 258748
Thessaloniki, 54643, Greece
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Papageorgiou General Hospital /ID# 265500
Thessaloniki, 56429, Greece
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Qingdao Eye Hospital Of Shandong First Medical University /ID# 262756
Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China
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Rabin Medical Center /ID# 265476
Petah Tikva, Central District, 4941492, Israel
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Reg Gen Univ Hosp Larissa /ID# 255235
Larissa, 41110, Greece
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Royal Victoria Hospital /Id# 260232
Belfast, BT12 6BA, United Kingdom
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Shenzhen Eye Hospital /ID# 262954
Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518034, China
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Sunderland Eye Infirmary /ID# 258466
Sunderland, SR2 9HP, United Kingdom
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Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center /ID# 265469
Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, 6423906, Israel
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Tongji Hospital /ID# 270275
Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
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Unidade Local de Saude da Regiao de Leiria /ID# 262009
Leiria, 2410-197, Portugal
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Unidade Local de Saude de Santo Antonio /ID# 262010
Porto, 4099-003, Portugal
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Unidade Local de Saude do Estuario do Tejo /ID# 267945
Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon District, 2600-009, Portugal
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Universita Politecnica delle Marche - AOU Ospedali Riuniti di Ancona /ID# 258072
Ancona, 60126, Italy
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Universitaetsklinikum Leipzig /ID# 255660
Leipzig, Saxony, 04103, Germany
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Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel /ID# 255324
Jette, Brussels Capital, 1090, Belgium
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University General Hospital Attikon /ID# 257957
Chaïdári, Attica, 12462, Greece
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University General Hospital of Alexandroupoli /ID# 275850
Alexandroupoli, Evros, 68100, Greece
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University General Hospital of Heraklion PA.G.N.I /ID# 258313
Heraklion, Crete, 71500, Greece
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University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust /ID# 260908
Plymouth, Devon, PL6 8DH, United Kingdom
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Università di Torino /ID# 258442
Torino, 10124, Italy
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Uza /Id# 255831
Edegem, Antwerpen, 2650, Belgium
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Vitaz /Id# 265553
Sint-Niklaas, Oost-Vlaanderen, 9100, Belgium
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West China Hospital, Sichuan University /ID# 262745
Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
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Xi'an Fourth Hospital /ID# 262972
Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710004, China
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Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Campus St.-Jan /ID# 255934
Genk, Limburg, 3600, Belgium
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- The 20-Minute squeeze: how eye injections push pressure up
- Could years of eye injections weigh down the upper eyelid?
- Eye implant takes aim at diabetic macular edema
- Can a single gene therapy injection ease diabetic macular edema?
- Can a new eye injection preserve vision in south asians with diabetes?
- Could a biosimilar eye injection offer a new way to treat diabetic macular edema?