Michel J. Shami from Texas Retina has been invited to brief investigators on three pivotal studies exploring innovative treatments and intervention timings for retinal diseases, marking a significant step in enhancing sight preservation amid rising diabetes prevalence.
Texas Retina’s Michel J. Shami has been asked to brief investigators in the DRCR Retina Network on three active studies that examine whether existing treatments could better protect sight in people with retinal disease. The federally funded network, founded in 2002 with support from the National Eye Institute, has expanded from diabetic eye disease into broader retinal research and now works across more than 140 clinical sites in the United States and Canada, according to the network and recent medical coverage.
Shami, who practises at Texas Retina’s Lubbock office, is one of the network’s original investigators and has enrolled 126 participants across 29 DRCR protocols, the practice said. His participation comes as the group continues to build on a research programme that has helped shape treatment standards for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema, two of the most serious causes of vision loss in working-age adults.
One of the studies he highlighted, Protocol AF, is testing whether fenofibrate, a pill already used to treat high triglycerides and certain forms of high cholesterol, can slow the worsening of diabetic retinopathy. The VUMC ophthalmology study listing says the trial is multi-centre and NIH-sponsored, while the DRCR materials say enrolment has been completed and participants will be followed for four to six years. Shami said the study could have major public health value given the expected rise in diabetes and the continuing burden of blindness from retinal complications.
A second study, Protocol AM, is looking at when surgery should be performed for symptomatic epiretinal membranes, which can wrinkle the macula and cause blurred or distorted central vision. Johns Hopkins Medicine describes the trial as a randomised comparison of immediate surgery versus delayed surgery, with the aim of identifying the best time to intervene. Shami said there is still no strong level 1 evidence to guide the choice between watching and operating early, and researchers are recruiting patients with good visual acuity.
The third study, Protocol AL, is recruiting patients with radiation retinopathy, a delayed complication that can emerge months or years after cancer treatment. Investigators are comparing faricimab, an injected drug that targets two pathways involved in abnormal vessel growth and leakage, and Iluvien, a steroid implant, against observation to see whether either approach can prevent vision loss. Texas Retina said the study is still enrolling at its Lubbock site and elsewhere in the network, which continues to pursue trials aimed at improving outcomes through stronger evidence.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
