Use of Ranibizumab to Treat Rubeosis in Diabetics Prior to Cataract Surgery

This is an open-label, Phase I study of intravitreally administered 0.5mg ranibizumab in diabetic subjects presenting initially with dense cataract and proliferative diabetic retinopathy induced rubeosis. Ten subjects will be enrolled at a single center over a 10 month period. Patients will be followed for a total of 12 months in the treatment phase and will have safety follow-ups at Months 18 and 24. Eligibility for study entry will be determined by the principal investigator. Consented, enrolled subjects will receive multiple open-label intravitreal injections of 0.5 mg ranibizumab administered every month for 3 doses (loading dose on Day 0 and at Months 1 and 2) followed by as needed re-treatment based on specified criteria for the remainder of the study period. Subjects can receive a maximum of eight injections of ranibizumab during the study. All subjects will undergo cataract surgery after the first ranibizumab injection. Only one eye will be designated as the study eye for the duration of the study to receive the ranibizumab injections. All subjects will be evaluated with best corrected Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity, intraocular pressure measurement, ophthalmological examination, slit lamp photography, gonioscopy, fundus photography, fundus fluorescein angiography and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). An ultrasound will be done as needed. Best corrected ETDRS visual acuity and intraocular pressure measurements will be performed on both eyes.