Diabetes Eye Research Trials and Achievements
The Beetham Eye Institute is the world leader in research to identify the causes of diabetic eye disease and to find new therapies to lessen the risks of visual loss.
Director Lloyd Paul Aiello, M.D. is chairperson of the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network, which involves Joslin in nearly every major clinical trial of the treatment and prevention of diabetic retinopathy and macular edema in the United States. Click here to learn about the Joslin Section on Eye Research.
Recent clinical trials have included the evaluation of such innovative therapies as:
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PKC-beta inhibitor (taken as a pill) to slow progression of vision loss (pending FDA approval)
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Laser and surgical treatments for diabetic macular edema
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Growth factor inhibitors and steroids injected into the eye to reduce macular edema and improve vision
Enrolling in a Clinical Trial
Patients at the Beetham Eye Institute may be eligible to participate in clinical trials. For information on our clinical trials, call 617-732-2586.
Click here for information on current clinical trials that are looking for volunteers.

Joslin’s Beetham Eye Institute is named after William P. Beetham, M.D, who with founding director Lloyd M. Aiello, M.D., helped pioneer laser surgery for diabetic eye disease.
This procedure is the gold-standard treatment for advanced diabetic retinopathy worldwide and has helped hundreds of thousands of people with diabetes preserve their vision.
Page last updated: February 17, 2019