Nimodipine for Acute Optic Neuritis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A proof-of-concept, open, single-site exploratory study investigating the safety and tolerability of oral nimodipine and the effect it has on visual function in acute optic neuritis
IRAS ID
1007797
Contact name
Anand Trip
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London (UCL)
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN84570528
Research summary
The study drug, nimodipine, is being developed for the treatment of optic neuritis - an inflammatory disease of the eye that causes damage to the protective covering that surrounds fibres of the optic nerve and leads to vision loss. It is mainly associated with multiple sclerosis but can be associated with other diseases. As well as the inflammation caused by the disease, it is thought that tissue hypoxia (a lack of oxygen supply and blood flow to the brain) may drive damage to the optic nerve.
Currently, optic neuritis can only be treated with steroids, which help to speed up the time taken for recovery, but do not provide any significant improvement in a patient’s long term health or quality of life. Their use is not without risk and they have negative side effects.
Nimodipine is a cheap, widely used drug with very few side effects. It is used to treat symptoms resulting from a ruptured blood vessel in the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage) by increasing blood flow to the brain. Therefore, it could be used to treat the tissue hypoxia caused by optic neuritis.
In this this trial, we aim to investigate the efficacy of nimodipine in improving visual function of patients who develop an acute optic neuritis. The safety and tolerability of nimodipine will also be assessed.
10 participants who present acutely with optic neuritis and 5 healthy participants will be enrolled in the trial. Healthy participants are used for comparison and will not receive nimodipine.
All participants will undergo visual function assessments and participants with optic neuritis will receive a single oral 60 mg dose of nimodipine after baseline assessments have been conducted. Participants will remain at the hospital for approximately 3 hours to undergo visual function assessments and for any side effects to be recorded.
Participants with optic neuritis will receive a follow up phone call 24 hours later to ensure their ongoing wellbeing.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
25/NI/0009
Date of REC Opinion
21 Feb 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion