Trial Outcomes & Findings for Topical Insulin for Ocular Surface Interface in Dry Eye Disease (NCT NCT06939959)

NCT ID: NCT06939959

Last Updated: 2026-08-14

Results Overview

The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) is a 12-item patient-reported questionnaire assessing dry eye symptom severity and its impact on vision-related function. The OSDI score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating worse outcomes (greater symptom severity). This outcome reports the continuous OSDI score at baseline, week 4, week 8 and at Week 12 following initiation of treatment. A reduction in OSDI score from baseline indicates improvement in dry eye symptoms. An OSDI score of \<20 at Week 12 was considered the predefined threshold for clinically meaningful symptomatic improvement. .

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

PHASE4

Target enrollment

128 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

Baseline to Week 12

Results posted on

2026-08-14

Participant Flow

at Ophthalmology department Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar

Two participants were lost to follow-up. In accordance with the pre-specified study protocol, these participants were retained in the intention-to-treat analysis using their last available data.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Topical Insulin Group/Arm
Experimental: Insulin Topical insulin 1UI/ml 4 times a day insulin human: injection humulin will be used to make topical insulin drops
Artificial Tears Group/Arm
Artificial tears Artificial tears 4 times a day Artificial tear: commercially available artificial tears will be used consisting of same ingredients.
Overall Study
STARTED
64
64
Overall Study
COMPLETED
62
64
Overall Study
NOT COMPLETED
2
0

Reasons for withdrawal

Reasons for withdrawal
Measure
Topical Insulin Group/Arm
Experimental: Insulin Topical insulin 1UI/ml 4 times a day insulin human: injection humulin will be used to make topical insulin drops
Artificial Tears Group/Arm
Artificial tears Artificial tears 4 times a day Artificial tear: commercially available artificial tears will be used consisting of same ingredients.
Overall Study
Lost to Follow-up
2
0

Baseline Characteristics

Race and Ethnicity were not collected from any participant.

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Topical Insulin Group/Arm
n=64 Participants
Experimental: Insulin Topical insulin 1UI/ml 4 times a day insulin human: injection humulin will be used to make topical insulin drops
Artificial Tears Group/Arm
n=64 Participants
Artificial tears Artificial tears 4 times a day Artificial tear: commercially available artificial tears will be used consisting of same ingredients.
Total
n=128 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous
35.39 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.74 • n=64 Participants
37.25 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 13.29 • n=64 Participants
36.63 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.98 • n=128 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
30 Participants
n=64 Participants
33 Participants
n=64 Participants
63 Participants
n=128 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
34 Participants
n=64 Participants
31 Participants
n=64 Participants
65 Participants
n=128 Participants
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected
0 Participants
Race and Ethnicity were not collected from any participant.
Known Diabetic
22 Participants
n=64 Participants
23 Participants
n=64 Participants
45 Participants
n=128 Participants
Employed
41 Participants
n=64 Participants
37 Participants
n=64 Participants
78 Participants
n=128 Participants
Educated
34 Participants
n=64 Participants
31 Participants
n=64 Participants
65 Participants
n=128 Participants
Satisfactory Socioeconomic Status
36 Participants
n=64 Participants
32 Participants
n=64 Participants
68 Participants
n=128 Participants
Baseline Schirmer Test, Mean (SD), mm
6.36 millimeter
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.33 • n=64 Participants
6.10 millimeter
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.17 • n=64 Participants
6.11 millimeter
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.31 • n=128 Participants
Baseline TBUT, Mean (SD), sec
6.48 seconds
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.70 • n=64 Participants
6.47 seconds
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.49 • n=64 Participants
6.48 seconds
STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.59 • n=128 Participants
Baseline OSDI Score, Mean (SD)
44.67 points
STANDARD_DEVIATION 16.70 • n=64 Participants
47.81 points
STANDARD_DEVIATION 15.85 • n=64 Participants
46.24 points
STANDARD_DEVIATION 16.29 • n=128 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline to Week 12

Population: For each participant, the eye with the higher OSDI score at baseline was designated the study eye and included in the analysis

The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) is a 12-item patient-reported questionnaire assessing dry eye symptom severity and its impact on vision-related function. The OSDI score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating worse outcomes (greater symptom severity). This outcome reports the continuous OSDI score at baseline, week 4, week 8 and at Week 12 following initiation of treatment. A reduction in OSDI score from baseline indicates improvement in dry eye symptoms. An OSDI score of \<20 at Week 12 was considered the predefined threshold for clinically meaningful symptomatic improvement. .

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Topical Insulin Group/Arm
n=64 Participants
Experimental: Insulin Topical insulin 1UI/ml 4 times a day insulin human: injection humulin will be used to make topical insulin drops
Artificial Tears Group/Arm
n=64 Participants
Artificial tears Artificial tears 4 times a day Artificial tear: commercially available artificial tears will be used consisting of same ingredients.
OSDI Score
Baseline
44.67 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 16.70
47.81 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 15.85
OSDI Score
4 weeks
33.03 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 12.18
37.31 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 11.58
OSDI Score
8 weeks
22.87 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 8.58
30.66 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 11.36
OSDI Score
12 weeks
15.44 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 7.67
23.81 score on a scale
Standard Deviation 12.29

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline to Week 12

Population: Change in Schirmer Test Value at 12 Weeks: the eye in which the schirmer test measurement was lower was included in the study

Schirmer's test (without anaesthesia) measures aqueous tear production as the length of wetting on a standardized 35 mm filter paper strip over 5 minutes, range 0-35 mm. Higher values indicate better outcome (greater tear production)." Unit of Measure: "mm.The treatment will be deemed effective if Schirmer's test values are above 10mm after 5 minutes, TBUT of more than 10 seconds s achieved at 12 weeks of the initiation of treatment.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Topical Insulin Group/Arm
n=64 Participants
Experimental: Insulin Topical insulin 1UI/ml 4 times a day insulin human: injection humulin will be used to make topical insulin drops
Artificial Tears Group/Arm
n=64 Participants
Artificial tears Artificial tears 4 times a day Artificial tear: commercially available artificial tears will be used consisting of same ingredients.
SCHIRMER TEST
Baseline
6.36 mm
Standard Deviation 1.30
6.11 mm
Standard Deviation 1.17
SCHIRMER TEST
4 weeks
8.02 mm
Standard Deviation 1.35
6.35 mm
Standard Deviation 1.37
SCHIRMER TEST
8 weeks
10.50 mm
Standard Deviation 1.55
7.31 mm
Standard Deviation 1.74
SCHIRMER TEST
12 weeks
11.11 mm
Standard Deviation 1.40
8.52 mm
Standard Deviation 1.50

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: Baseline to Week 12

Population: The eye with decreased tear film break up time was included in the study

Fluorescein tear break-up time (TBUT) measures tear film stability as the time, in seconds, for the first dry spot to appear in the stained tear film after a blink, mean of three readings. Higher values indicate better outcome (more stable tear film). Unit of Measure: seconds Change in Tear Break-Up Time (TBUT) at 12 Weeks

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Topical Insulin Group/Arm
n=64 Participants
Experimental: Insulin Topical insulin 1UI/ml 4 times a day insulin human: injection humulin will be used to make topical insulin drops
Artificial Tears Group/Arm
n=64 Participants
Artificial tears Artificial tears 4 times a day Artificial tear: commercially available artificial tears will be used consisting of same ingredients.
Tear Film Break up Time
Baseline
6.48 seconds
Standard Deviation 1.70
6.47 seconds
Standard Deviation 1.49
Tear Film Break up Time
4 weeks
8.77 seconds
Standard Deviation 1.54
7.11 seconds
Standard Deviation 1.04
Tear Film Break up Time
8 weeks
9.73 seconds
Standard Deviation 1.25
7.97 seconds
Standard Deviation 0.96
Tear Film Break up Time
12 weeks
10.83 seconds
Standard Deviation 1.18
9.20 seconds
Standard Deviation 1.83

Adverse Events

Topical Insulin Group/Arm

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Artificial Tears Group/Arm

Serious events: 0 serious events
Other events: 0 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Shafiq Tanveer

Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar

Phone: +92333 5048601

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place