Macular EpiRetinal Brachytherapy Versus Lucentis® Only Treatment (MERLOT)

Summary

Wet age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of blind registration in the United Kingdom (UK). Standard treatment involves regular eye injections of a drug called ranibizumab (Lucentis). For most patients, ranibizumab maintains their vision but the effect of the drug is temporary, and they therefore require monthly hospital visits and typically six injections into the eye every year, probably for life. This study tests a new surgical device that delivers a focal dose of radiation (epimacular brachytherapy) to the macula (the part inside the back of the eye that gives fine central vision), to try and reduce or eliminate the need for ongoing, regular eye injections. The trial compares epimacular brachytherapy to ongoing standard treatment with ranibizumab. Whereas most studies of this new surgical device target patients who have not yet commenced any treatment, this study targets those who are requiring frequent eye injections, as there are limited surgical resources and these resources are best directed to those who have not fully responded to ranibizumab therapy, or whose response is shortlived. These patients have the most to gain from a device that may reduce their burden of treatment. The findings in untreated disease cannot be extrapolated to this discrete subset of patients, hence the need for a study that targets refractory disease. It is hypothesised that epimacular brachytherapy will reduce the frequency of Lucentis® (ranibizumab) re-treatment that patients require, whilst maintaining visual acuity.

Timeline

Start

2009-11

Primary completion

2015-03

Completion

2016-12

Publications

• Jackson TL, Soare C, Petrarca C, Simpson A, Neffendorf JE, Petrarca R, Muldrew KA, Peto T, Chakravarthy U, Membrey L, Haynes R, Costen M, Steel DHW, Desai R; MERLOT Study Group. Epimacular brachytherapy for previously treated neovascular age-related macular degeneration: month 36 results of the MERLOT randomised controlled trial. Br J Ophthalmol. 2023 Jul;107(7):987-992. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2021-320620. Epub 2022 Feb 25.
• Evans JR, Igwe C, Jackson TL, Chong V. Radiotherapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Aug 26;8(8):CD004004. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004004.pub4.
• Jackson TL, Soare C, Petrarca C, Simpson A, Neffendorf JE, Petrarca R, Muldrew A, Peto T, Chakravarthy U, Membrey L, Haynes R, Costen M, Steel D, Desai R; MERLOT Study Group. Evaluation of Month-24 Efficacy and Safety of Epimacular Brachytherapy for Previously Treated Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The MERLOT Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2020 Aug 1;138(8):835-842. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.2309.
• Jackson TL, Dugel PU, Bebchuk JD, Smith KR, Petrarca R, Slakter JS, Jaffe GJ, Nau JA; CABERNET Study Group. Epimacular brachytherapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (CABERNET): fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography. Ophthalmology. 2013 Aug;120(8):1597-603. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2013.01.074. Epub 2013 Mar 13.

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