Ruboxistaurin delays sight-threatening DME

Article

Daily oral administration of ruboxistaurin (RBX) may delay progression of diabetic macular oedema (DME) to a sight-threatening stage.

Daily oral administration of ruboxistaurin (RBX) may delay progression of diabetic macular oedema (DME) to a sight-threatening stage, according to a study published in the March issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

The PKC-DMES multicentre, double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled study enrolled 686 patients to receive placebo or RBX orally (4, 16 or 32 mg/day) for 30 months. At baseline, subjects had DME farther than 300 µm from the centre of the macular, an Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) severity level of between 20 and 47A and an ETDRS visual acuity (VA) of 75 or more.

The researchers found that the delay in progression was not statistically significant (32 mg RBX versus placebo, p=0.14). However, application of focal/grid photocoagulation prior to progression to sight-threatening DME varied by site and a secondary analysis of progression to sight-threatening DME alone showed that 32 mg of RBX per day reduced progression compared with placebo (p=0.054).

It is thought that, although disease progression was not delayed, daily oral administration of RBX may delay progression to sight-threatening DME.

Newsletter

Join ophthalmologists across Europe—sign up for exclusive updates and innovations in surgical techniques and clinical care.

Recent Videos
Christine Curcio, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, shares histology update and revised nomenclature for OCT with Sheryl Stevenson of the Eye Care Network and Ophthalmology Times
SriniVas R. Sadda, MD, FARVO, shares key points from his retina presentation at the International SPECTRALIS Symposium
Robert Sergott, MD, describes fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) and the International SPECTRALIS Symposium – And Beyond (ISS) in Heidelberg, Germany.
Rayaz Malik, MBChB, PhD, a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, spoke with Ophthalmology Times Europe about his presentation. It's titled "An eye on neurodegenerative diseases: Challenging the dogma" at the International SPECTRALIS Sympsoium. In conversation with Hattie Hayes, Ophthalmology Times Europe
Anat Loewenstein, MD, describes her presentation on remote imaging for age-related macular degeneration and geographic atrophy at the International SPECTRALIS Symposium, in conversation with Hattie Hayes of Ophthalmology Times Europe
Tyson Brunstetter, OD, PhD, a US Navy Aerospace Optometrist at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, shares key takeaways from his keynote at the International SPECTRALIS Symposium (ISS)
Rayaz Malik, MBChB, PhD, shares his presentation, titled An eye on neurodegenerative diseases: Challenging the dogma, at this year's International SPECTRALIS Symposium
At the Retina World Congress, Siegfried Priglinger, MD, speaks about ensuring the best outcomes for preschool-aged patients
At the 2025 ASCRS meeting, Robert Ang, MD said small aperture IOLs can benefit all patients, especially those with complex corneas or who have undergone previous corneal refractive surgery
Viha Vig, MBChB graduate student at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, discusses her poster presentation on the relationship between mitochondiral disease, Alzheimer disease, and other types of dementia.
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.