An Analysis of Publication Rates, Trends, and Characteristics of Retinal Detachment Trials on ClinicalTrials.gov

Author(s): Ibrahim Abboud, Aditi Chitre, Naneeta Desar, Clyde Siringoringo, Emily Ho, Marina Gad El Sayed, Kimia Rezaei, Rolando Sceptre Ganasi, Shameema Sikder, Kapil Mishra.

Background: Retinal detachment (RD) is a sight-threatening condition that requires timely intervention to prevent irreversible vision loss. Despite advances in surgical and pharmacologic management, the landscape of RD registered clinical trials (RCT) remains under-characterized in the literature. This study aimed to describe the characteristics, publication trends, and potential gaps in RD trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Methods: A comprehensive search of ClinicalTrials.gov was conducted on January 1, 2025, using keywords related to RD. Two authors independently verified study eligibility, with discrepancies resolved by a third reviewer. Data were extracted on study type, phase, sponsorship, location, population, principal investigator characteristics, and completion status. Trials completed before January 1, 2022, were analyzed for publication status and outcomes using PubMed and Google Scholar. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. Results: A total of 405 RD-focused CTs were identified. Over the past two decades, RD trials increased significantly, although at a slower rate than all RCTs. RD trials were predominantly interventional (74.1%) and non-industry sponsored (85.2%). The most common study types were drug-based (44.0%) and procedural interventions (33.7%). Majority of trials were conducted internationally (p=0.0371) and focused on adults (p=0.0008). Male principal investigators led 72.6% of trials, and MD-only investigators accounted for the majority (61.2%). Among the 202 completed studies, 64.3% (p<0.003) were published, with positive outcomes significantly more likely to be reported than negative ones (84.6% vs. 15.4%, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive overview of RD clinical research. It illustrates the expanding global effort into this field. Less than two-thirds of the completed trials were published, with positive outcome studies significantly more represented in the published literature.