Oral Propranolol for Prevention of Threshold Retinopathy of Prematurity

Summary

Extremely premature infants are at risk of developing a potentially blinding eye disease, called retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Currently available treatment, consisting of laser surgery or injection of drugs into the eye balls, may prevent most but not all cases of permanent ROP-mediated blindness. Both types of treatment are associated with significant costs and side effects. An orally administered drug commonly used to treat hypertension, propranolol, may be effective in halting progression of ROP to severe stages, as suggested by preliminary data from small studies. As severe (threshold) ROP is an overall rare disease, the effectiveness of propranolol in combating ROP can only be assessed in a large, multicenter randomized controlled trial involving hospitals caring for extremely preterm infants of diverse origin.

Timeline

Start

2022-09-22

Primary completion

2028-12-31

Completion

2029-12-31

Publications

• Results Buhrer C, Bassler D. Oral Propranolol: A New Treatment for Infants with Retinopathy of Prematurity? Neonatology. 2015;108(1):49-52. doi: 10.1159/000381659. Epub 2015 May 9.
• Results Buhrer C, Erdeve O, Bassler D, Bar-Oz B. Oral propranolol for prevention of threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROPROP): protocol of a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2018 Jul 6;8(7):e021749. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021749.

Drugs

Indications