Moorfields and UCL awarded £1.2m research grant

Moorfields Eye Hospital is starting a new retinal detachment clinical trial, following a £1.2m joint grant with UCL from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Development Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS).

Mahi Muqit (pictured), consultant vitreoretinal surgeon at Moorfields and honorary clinical lecturer at UCL, will lead the study into a treatment that could reduce sight loss by reducing or eliminating retinal scarring from proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).

The phase one trial will test the safety and efficacy of a novel formulation of a known anti-inflammatory drug and method of treatment by direct application to the inside of the patient's eye.

In collaboration with UCL, researchers at Moorfields will undertake a study of approximately 50 patients to define the most appropriate and safest dose of the drug in patients with retinal detachment.