Methotrexate and Mycophenolate Mofetil for UVEITIS

Summary

In the First-line Antimetabolites as Steroid-sparing Treatment (FAST) Uveitis Trial, the investigators propose to establish which immunosuppressive therapy, methotrexate or mycophenolate mofetil, is more effective as a first-line, corticosteroid-sparing agent for the treatment of non-infectious uveitis in a block-randomized, observer-masked, comparative effectiveness trial.

Timeline

Start

2013-08

Primary completion

2018-02-21

Completion

2018-08-09

Publications

• Background Galor A, Jabs DA, Leder HA, Kedhar SR, Dunn JP, Peters GB 3rd, Thorne JE. Comparison of antimetabolite drugs as corticosteroid-sparing therapy for noninfectious ocular inflammation. Ophthalmology. 2008 Oct;115(10):1826-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2008.04.026. Epub 2008 Jun 25.
• Background Siepmann K, Huber M, Stubiger N, Deuter C, Zierhut M. Mycophenolate mofetil is a highly effective and safe immunosuppressive agent for the treatment of uveitis : a retrospective analysis of 106 patients. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2006 Jul;244(7):788-94. doi: 10.1007/s00417-005-0066-8. Epub 2005 Sep 15.
• Background Teoh SC, Hogan AC, Dick AD, Lee RW. Mycophenolate mofetil for the treatment of uveitis. Am J Ophthalmol. 2008 Nov;146(5):752-60, 760.e1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2008.03.004. Epub 2008 May 2.
• Background Thorne JE, Jabs DA, Qazi FA, Nguyen QD, Kempen JH, Dunn JP. Mycophenolate mofetil therapy for inflammatory eye disease. Ophthalmology. 2005 Aug;112(8):1472-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2005.02.020.
• Background Larkin G, Lightman S. Mycophenolate mofetil. A useful immunosuppressive in inflammatory eye disease. Ophthalmology. 1999 Feb;106(2):370-4. doi: 10.1016/S0161-6420(99)90078-7.
• Background Baltatzis S, Tufail F, Yu EN, Vredeveld CM, Foster CS. Mycophenolate mofetil as an immunomodulatory agent in the treatment of chronic ocular inflammatory disorders. Ophthalmology. 2003 May;110(5):1061-5. doi: 10.1016/S0161-6420(03)00092-7.
• Background Choudhary A, Harding SP, Bucknall RC, Pearce IA. Mycophenolate mofetil as an immunosuppressive agent in refractory inflammatory eye disease. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Jun;22(3):168-75. doi: 10.1089/jop.2006.22.168.
• Background Bom S, Zamiri P, Lightman S. Use of methotrexate in the management of sight-threatening uveitis. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2001 Mar;9(1):35-40. doi: 10.1076/ocii.9.1.35.3983.
• Background Dev S, McCallum RM, Jaffe GJ. Methotrexate treatment for sarcoid-associated panuveitis. Ophthalmology. 1999 Jan;106(1):111-8. doi: 10.1016/S0161-6420(99)90011-8.
• Background Foeldvari I, Wierk A. Methotrexate is an effective treatment for chronic uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2005 Feb;32(2):362-5.
• Background Gangaputra S, Newcomb CW, Liesegang TL, Kacmaz RO, Jabs DA, Levy-Clarke GA, Nussenblatt RB, Rosenbaum JT, Suhler EB, Thorne JE, Foster CS, Kempen JH; Systemic Immunosuppressive Therapy for Eye Diseases Cohort Study. Methotrexate for ocular inflammatory diseases. Ophthalmology. 2009 Nov;116(11):2188-98.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2009.04.020. Epub 2009 Sep 12.
• Background Holz FG, Krastel H, Breitbart A, Schwarz-Eywill M, Pezzutto A, Volcker HE. Low-dose methotrexate treatment in noninfectious uveitis resistant to corticosteroids. Ger J Ophthalmol. 1992;1(3-4):142-4.
• Background Shah SS, Lowder CY, Schmitt MA, Wilke WS, Kosmorsky GS, Meisler DM. Low-dose methotrexate therapy for ocular inflammatory disease. Ophthalmology. 1992 Sep;99(9):1419-23. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(92)31790-7.
• Background Taylor SR, Habot-Wilner Z, Pacheco P, Lightman SL. Intraocular methotrexate in the treatment of uveitis and uveitic cystoid macular edema. Ophthalmology. 2009 Apr;116(4):797-801. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2008.10.033.
• Background Daniel E, Thorne JE, Newcomb CW, Pujari SS, Kacmaz RO, Levy-Clarke GA, Nussenblatt RB, Rosenbaum JT, Suhler EB, Foster CS, Jabs DA, Kempen JH. Mycophenolate mofetil for ocular inflammation. Am J Ophthalmol. 2010 Mar;149(3):423-32.e1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2009.09.026. Epub 2009 Dec 30.
• Background Sobrin L, Christen W, Foster CS. Mycophenolate mofetil after methotrexate failure or intolerance in the treatment of scleritis and uveitis. Ophthalmology. 2008 Aug;115(8):1416-21, 1421.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.12.011. Epub 2008 Jan 25.
• Background Jabs DA, Nussenblatt RB, Rosenbaum JT; Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) Working Group. Standardization of uveitis nomenclature for reporting clinical data. Results of the First International Workshop. Am J Ophthalmol. 2005 Sep;140(3):509-16. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2005.03.057.
• Background Jabs DA, Rosenbaum JT, Foster CS, Holland GN, Jaffe GJ, Louie JS, Nussenblatt RB, Stiehm ER, Tessler H, Van Gelder RN, Whitcup SM, Yocum D. Guidelines for the use of immunosuppressive drugs in patients with ocular inflammatory disorders: recommendations of an expert panel. Am J Ophthalmol. 2000 Oct;130(4):492-513. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(00)00659-0.
• Results Reddy AK, Miller DC, Sura AA, Rathinam SR, Gonzales JA, Thundikandy R, Kanakath A, Murugan B, Vedhanayaki R, Lim LL, Suhler EB, Doan T, Al-Dhibi HA, Goldstein DA, Arellanes-Garcia L, Acharya NR. Risk of failing both methotrexate and mycophenolate mofetil from the First-line Antimetabolites as Steroid-sparing Treatment (FAST) uveitis trial. J Ophthalmic Inflamm Infect. 2023 Jun 9;13(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s12348-023-00350-5.
• Results Chattopadhyay A, Rathinam SR, Gonzales JA, Kelly NK, Thundikandy R, Kanakath A, Murugan SB, Vedhanayaki R, Lim LL, Suhler EB, Al-Dhibi HA, Doan T, Ebert CD, Porco TC, Acharya NR; FAST Research Group. Association between Quality of Life and Visual Acuity in a Randomized Clinical Trial of Patients with Uveitis Taking Antimetabolites. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2024 Apr;32(3):301-309. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2023.2169714. Epub 2023 Feb 7.
• Results Sura AA, Sun Y, Reddy AK, Rathinam SR, Gonzales JA, Thundikandy R, Vedhanayaki R, Kanakath A, Murugan B, Doan TA, Lim LL, Suhler EB, Al-Dhibi HA, Acharya NR; FAST Research Group. Reduced Dose Methotrexate and Mycophenolate Mofetil in Noninfectious Uveitis: A Sub-Analysis from the First-Line Antimetabolites as Steroid Sparing Therapy (FAST) Trial. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2024 Aug;32(6):955-960. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2023.2165949. Epub 2023 Jan 26.
• Results Tsui E, Rathinam SR, Gonzales JA, Thundikandy R, Kanakath A, Balamurugan S, Vedhanayaki R, Lim LL, Suhler EB, Al-Dhibi HA, Doan T, Keenan J, Ebert CD, Kim E, Madow B, Porco TC, Acharya NR; FAST Research Group. Outcomes of Uveitic Macular Edema in the First-line Antimetabolites as Steroid-Sparing Treatment Uveitis Trial. Ophthalmology. 2022 Jun;129(6):661-667. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.02.002. Epub 2022 Feb 8.
• Results Kelly NK, Chattopadhyay A, Rathinam SR, Gonzales JA, Thundikandy R, Kanakath A, Murugan SB, Vedhanayaki R, Cugley D, Lim LL, Suhler EB, Al-Dhibi HA, Ebert CD, Berlinberg EJ, Porco TC, Acharya NR; FAST Research Group. Health- and Vision-Related Quality of Life in a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Methotrexate and Mycophenolate Mofetil for Uveitis. Ophthalmology. 2021 Sep;128(9):1337-1345. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2021.02.024. Epub 2021 Mar 4.
• Results Kong CL, Kelly NK, Sundararajan M, Rathinam SR, Gonzales JA, Thundikandy R, Vedhanayaki R, Kanakath A, Murugan B, Doan T, Goldstein D, Al-Dhibi HA, Acharya NR. Comparison of CD4 Counts with Mycophenolate Mofetil versus Methotrexate from the First-line Antimetabolites as Steroid-sparing Treatment (FAST) Uveitis Trial. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2022 Jan 2;30(1):198-202. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2020.1774906. Epub 2020 Aug 11.
• Results Rathinam SR, Gonzales JA, Thundikandy R, Kanakath A, Murugan SB, Vedhanayaki R, Lim LL, Suhler EB, Al-Dhibi HA, Doan T, Keenan JD, Rao MM, Ebert CD, Nguyen HH, Kim E, Porco TC, Acharya NR; FAST Research Group. Effect of Corticosteroid-Sparing Treatment With Mycophenolate Mofetil vs Methotrexate on Inflammation in Patients With Uveitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2019 Sep 10;322(10):936-945. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.12618.
• Results Bui AD, Kong CL, Kelly NK, Rathinam SR, Gonzales JA, Thundikandy R, Kanakath A, Murugan B, Vedhanayaki R, Lim LL, Suhler EB, Al-Dhibi HA, Doan T, Acharya NR; First-Line Antimetabolites as Steroid-Sparing Treatment Research Group. Time to Uveitis Control with Methotrexate and Mycophenolate Mofetil. Ophthalmology. 2022 Jun;129(6):721-723. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.01.020. Epub 2022 Jan 25. No abstract available.
• Sundararajan M, Rathinam SR, Thundikandy R, Kanakath A, Balamurugan S, Vedhanayaki R, Miller DC, Lim LL, Suhler EB, Al-Dhibi HA, Arellanes-Garcia L, Reddy AK, Feng S, Doan T, Porco TC, Shantha JG, Acharya NR, Gonzales JA. Association Between Baseline Macular Morphologic Features on Optical Coherence Tomography and Visual Outcomes in Patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2025 Feb;33(2):263-270. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2024.2391420. Epub 2024 Aug 27.

Drugs

Indications