Analysis of Drug Clinical Trials for Eye Diseases in China

We systematically retrospected and analyzed the general characteristics of ophthalmic drug clinical trials (CTs) registered in China from January 2014 to December 2021. Data were retrieved from the Drug Trial Registration and Information Publication Platform and then standardized and statistically classified using bibliometric analysis. We identified 201 drug CTs for eye diseases, including 24 international multicenter trials. The number of drug CTs for eye diseases has considerably increased since 2017 in parallel with new policies to encourage innovation in drugs and medical devices in China. The drug types consist of biologicals (48.26%), chemicals (45.77%), and traditional Chinese medicine/natural medicines (5.97%). The main indications were age-related macular degeneration (AMD; n = 47, 23.38%), macular edema (n = 32, 15.92%), and diabetic retinopathy (n = 19, 9.45%). The trials included those in phase I (n = 67, 33.33%), phase II (n = 33, 16.42%), and phase III (n = 72, 35.82%). The phase I trials comprised 24 innovative drug treatments for AMD and 6 novel drug treatments for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders, with 39 biologicals and 27 chemicals. The trials mostly followed a randomized (84.08%) or masked (67.16%) design, with 90.37% of the latter being double-masked trials. Research and development of ophthalmic drugs have substantially increased in recent years and are influenced by regulatory policies. Among these drugs, biologicals for AMD are the most prevalent, followed by biologicals for macular edema. Randomized double-masked research designs are often used and represent high-quality evidence.