Recruiting
Phase 3

CXL

Sponsor:

Woolfson Eye Institute

Code:

NCT07135167

Conditions

Down Syndrome (DS)

Keratoconus

Pellucid Marginal Degeneration

Forme Fruste Keratoconus (FFK)

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 8+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Epi-ON corneal cross-linking (CXL)

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this clinical trial is to study the effects of an experimental (not Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved) treatment called corneal crosslinking (CXL) for conditions in which the cornea becomes progressively thin, steep, and misshapen, causing vision to be blurred.

CXL is performed by putting riboflavin (vitamin B2) drops onto the eye and then exposing it to ultraviolet (UVA) light at about the same intensity as you get outdoors on a bright, sunny day. It is designed to stop the progression of disease by strengthening the cornea. Study participants will be 8 years of age or older and have a diagnosis of Down syndrome.

The main question it aims to answer is:

  • Does CXL help prevent or slow the progression of someone's corneal condition and vision loss?

Participants will:

  • Attend up to a total of 7 in office visits over the course of 6 months, where several eye and vision tests will be given.

Receive CXL (applying riboflavin (Vitamin B2 eye drops) to the eye, then exposing the eye to ultraviolet (UV-A) light for 20 minutes).

Conditions

Down Syndrome (DS)

Keratoconus

Pellucid Marginal Degeneration

Forme Fruste Keratoconus (FFK)

Study ID

NCT07135167

Start date

Aug 1, 2025

Status verified date

Jan, 2026

Completion date

Dec 31, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Nov, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 8+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Be at least 8 years of age or older, male or female, of any race.
2. Have a diagnosis of Down syndrome or other cognitive, developmental, or medical conditions that precludes the subject from reliably following instructions or performing some of the study examination procedures.
3. Have a diagnosis of keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, progressive ectasia after previous CXL treatment, other ectatic condition, or forme fruste keratoconus based on topography, tomography, and slit lamp examination.
4. Provide written informed consent and a signed HIPAA form. Pediatric subjects less than 14 years of age must sign an assent, and a parent or legal guardian must sign an informed consent. If the subject has impaired consent capacity, determined by the consenter, the consent form must be signed by the subject's legally authorized representative on behalf of the subject.
5. Satisfactory completion of the standardized clinical decision tool evaluation of patient suitability for CXL. (See Section 7.2.3)
6. Be willing and able to follow all instructions to the best of his/her abilities and comply with the schedule for follow-up visits.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Normal corneal topography.
2. A history of previous corneal transplant in the study eye.
3. Minimum corneal thickness < 300 (measured by Pentacam and Ultrasound) at the screening exam.
4. Previous ocular condition (other than refractive error) in the eye(s) to be treated that may predispose the eye to future complications or prevent the possibility of improved vision, for example:

1. History of, or active, corneal disease (e.g., herpes simplex, herpes zoster keratitis, etc.)
2. Clinically significant corneal scarring in the central cornea that, in the investigator's opinion, will not allow the subject to achieve functional vision, even with contact lens correction, after the crosslinking procedure.
5. A known contraindication, sensitivity, or allergy to the test article or its components or to study medications.
6. Nystagmus or any other condition that would prevent a steady gaze during the crosslinking treatment or other diagnostic tests.
7. If female, pregnant, lactating or planning a pregnancy, or having a positive urine pregnancy test prior to the randomization of, or treatment of either eye during the course of the study. \[NOTE: If female and capable of becoming pregnant, must agree to use a medically acceptable form of birth control for at least one week prior to the treatment visit and to continue one month following treatment. \]

7\. Inability to remove soft or scleral contact lenses at least 3 days before initial and follow-up examinations.

8\. Inability to remove rigid gas-permeable contact lenses at least 2 weeks before initial and follow-up examinations.

9\. Inability to return for required postoperative examinations. 10. Presence or history or any other condition or finding that, in the investigator's opinion, makes the subject unsuitable as a candidate for crosslinking or study participation or may confound the outcome of the study.

Study Design

Enrollment

225 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Enrolled and treated subject arm

Epi-ON corneal cross-linking (CXL)

Interventions

Epi-ON corneal cross-linking (CXL)

Corneal cross-linking involves the following steps:

  • applying riboflavin (Vitamin B2 eye drops) to the eye, then
  • exposing the eye to ultraviolet (UV-A) light for 20 minutes.

Primary outcome measure

  • The primary outcome measures for efficacy is corneal curvature, as measured by Kmax with the Pentacam, in the treated eyes. [ Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 months. ]
  • Improvement of vision as assessed by corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). [ Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 months. ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30328

Contacts

Principal Investigator:

Jonathan Woolfson, MD

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30349

Contacts

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Canton, Georgia, United States, 30114

Contacts

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Cumming, Georgia, United States, 30041

Contacts

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Douglasville, Georgia, United States, 30134

Contacts

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Lawrenceville, Georgia, United States, 30043

Contacts

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Marietta, Georgia, United States, 30066

Contacts

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Snellville, Georgia, United States, 30078

Contacts

LuAnn Bryant

770-804-1684

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Asheville, North Carolina, United States, 28803

Contacts

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States, 37421

Contacts

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Johnson City, Tennessee, United States, 37615

Contacts

LuAnn Bryant

770-804-1684

Woolfson Eye Institute

Recruiting

Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, 37922

Contacts

More Information

Sponsor

Woolfson Eye Institute

Last update posted

Feb 2, 2026

Last verified

Jan, 2026

Keywords

  • corneal crosslinking (CXL)
  • cornea
  • riboflavin
  • vitamin B2
  • ultraviolet

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Woolfson Eye Institute on 2026-02-02.