Intravitreal Adalimumab Versus Subcutaneous Adalimumab in Non-infectious Uveitis

Subject groups:

32 subjects will be enrolled in this study, 16 in each arm. They will be randomized to receive either 1.5 mg/ 0.03 mL of adalimumab by intravitreal injection or 40 mg of adalimumab subcutaneously at their first treatment visit and at the 2 weeks visit if eligible for a repeat injection. Follow up will be every 2 days the first week then one week later and after that every 4-week intervals for total of 26 weeks.

Intervention Details:

• Systemic adalimumab: Subcutaneous injection of 40 mg adalimumab (Humira) given every 2 weeks.
• Local adalimumab: Intravitreal injection of 1.5mg/0.03ml adalimumab given at zero, 2 weeks, and then every 4 weeks.

Pre-treatment work up

Patients will undergo a comprehensive eye exam:

• Visual acuity, slit-lamp examination of the anterior segment, dilated fundus examination, electroretinography (ERG) and fluorescein angiography (FA).
• Central macular thickness of all eyes will be measured with ocular coherence tomography before treatment.
• Purified Protein Derivative (PPD), Complete blood count (CBC) and SGPT.

Post-injection follow-up

• Patients will be followed up every 2 days during the first week then one week later and after that every 4-week intervals.
• On follow up visits, if deterioration in vision of two or more ETDRS lines or worsening of ocular inflammation by more than 1+ cells/haze is detected at any visit, patients will be removed from the study and receive appropriate treatment. Otherwise, if vision was stable or improved and/or inflammation is same or better, patients will be re-injected.
• Follow up is for 26 weeks.
• OCT and fluorescein angiography each visit.
• ERG will be performed at baseline and 26 weeks.
• Blood studies (CBC and SGPT) will be performed at baseline, 14 weeks and at 26 weeks.
• Injections would be delayed if a patient has an acute infection and would be given when it subsides.

Inclusion criteria

• Subject is ≥ 18 years of age.
• Subject is diagnosed with non-infectious intermediate-, posterior-, or pan-uveitis.
• Subject must have active disease at baseline as defined by the presence of at least 1 of the following parameters in at least one eye despite at least 2 weeks of prednisone ≥ 10 mg/day (or oral corticosteroid equivalent):

• Active, inflammatory, chorioretinal and/or inflammatory retinal vascular lesion
• ≥ 1+ anterior chamber cells (Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature [SUN] criteria)
• ≥ 1+ vitreous haze (National Eye Institute [NEI]/SUN criteria)
• Subject with documented prior adequate response to oral corticosteroids (equivalent of oral prednisone up to 1 mg/kg/day).
• If subject is on prednisone >=10 mg (or corticosteroid equivalent) at baseline, the dose has not been increased or decreased in the past 14 days.
• No increase in the immune modulatory therapy in the past three months
• Negative PPD test.
• Positive PPD test on anti Tb medications.

Exclusion criteria

• Subject with isolated anterior uveitis.
• Subject with confirmed or suspected infectious uveitis, including but not limited to infectious uveitis due to TB, cytomegalovirus, lyme disease, toxoplasmosis and herpes simplex virus (HSV).
• Subject with serpiginous choroidopathy.
• Subject with corneal or lens opacity that precludes visualization of the fundus or that likely requires cataract surgery during the duration of the trial.
• Subject with corneal or lens opacities that preclude the evaluation of the vitreous haze.
• Subject with uncontrolled high intraocular pressure of ≥ 25 mmHg on maximal therapy.
• Subject with intermediate uveitis and symptoms and/or MRI findings suggestive of a demyelinating disease such as multiple sclerosis. All subjects with intermediate uveitis must have had a prior brain MRI at time of or after diagnosis of intermediate uveitis.
• Subject has received glucocorticosteroids implant (Retisert®), or Ozurdex within 6 months prior to baseline visit.
• Subject has received intraocular or periocular corticosteroids or intravitreal methotrexate within 90 days prior to Baseline visit.
• Subject with proliferative or severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
• Subject with neovascular/wet age-related macular degeneration
• Subject with abnormality of vitreo-retinal interface (i.e., vitreomacular traction, epiretinal membranes, etc.) with the potential for macular structural damage independent of the inflammatory process.
• Subject with a systemic inflammatory disease and requires additional therapy with a systemic immunosuppressive agent at the time of study entry.
• Subjects with history of active or latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis documented by Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) and chest X-ray and not anti tuberculosis (TB) treatment.