• Principal Investigator: Professor Augusto Azuara-Blanco, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology
  
  
  
• Name of the Study: CHAMP-UK
  
  Low-dose atropine eye drops to reduce progression of myopia (short-sightedness) in children: a multi-centre placebo-controlled randomised trial in the United Kingdom

 

• Why is this Study important?:
  
  Myopia is a condition which makes objects in the distance, such as the whiteboard in school, look blurred. This is typically caused by the eye growing too long. Myopia typically appears in childhood and tends to become more severe until the mid 20s.  It can be corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses but very myopic eyes have an increased risk of developing sight-threatening eye conditions in later life; the more severe the myopia, the higher the risk of visual loss.   
  
  

• What is the Research question/aim?:
  
  The aim of this research is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low dose atropine (0.01%) eye drops to reduce the progression of myopia in children.

 

• What the Study involves:
  
  The study involved five visits (one at the beginning of the study and then every six months) to the Clinical Research Facility at the Belfast City Hospital over a two year period. At the initial visit, eligible children will receive a prescription for eye drops which need to be instilled into each eye every day for a period of two years.
  
  Children will be randomly assigned to receive either the active atropine drops or a placebo drop. Twice as many children will have atropine than placebo (2:1 allocation).
  
  Several units in the UK are involved in this study (Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cambridge and London).

 

• PPI Involvement: 
  
  Views from parents of children with myopia have informed the design of the study and two parents sit as lay members on the steering committee.

 

• Who can take part in the Study?:  
  
  Children aged 6-12 years with myopia of -0.50 diopters (D) or greater in both eyes are eligible to take part in this study.  

 

• Contact Information:
  
  If you would like more information on the study, please contact

      - Contact: Dr Emma McConnell, Research Optometrist

      - Email: e.mcconnell@qub.ac.uk 

      - Phone: 07768 858583

      Or

      - Contact: Professor Augusto Azuara-Blanco, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology

      - Email: a.azuara.blanco@qub.ac.uk