Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, affecting over 700,000 people in the UK. Treatment has relied on daily eye drops for decades — but a revolution is underway. Sustained-release implants, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), gene therapy, and neuroprotective agents are transforming how glaucoma is managed. Here is what is actively recruiting.
Glaucoma care in the UK is delivered through a network of hospital eye services, with increasing involvement of community optometrists in detection and monitoring. The NIHR has designated ophthalmology as a research priority, and the UK is home to some of the world's highest-recruiting glaucoma trial sites.
There are currently over 60 actively recruiting glaucoma trials in the UK. The research pipeline spans from novel drug formulations and surgical devices to gene therapy and artificial intelligence for early detection.
Types of Glaucoma Trials
MIGS Devices
Minimally invasive surgical devices that lower intraocular pressure through micro-stents, trabecular bypass, and suprachoroidal shunts.
Sustained Release
Implants, inserts, and nanoparticles that deliver glaucoma medication over months to years, replacing daily eye drops.
Neuroprotection
Drugs protecting retinal ganglion cells from pressure-independent damage — preserving vision even when IOP is controlled.
Gene and RNA Therapy
One-time treatments targeting the genetic and molecular pathways of aqueous outflow and retinal ganglion cell survival.
Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)
MIGS has become the most active surgical research area in glaucoma, offering safer alternatives to trabeculectomy and tube shunts:
Trabecular micro-bypass stents — next-generation iStent devices and Hydrus Microstent trials comparing MIGS outcomes at 3–5 years
Canaloplasty and viscodilation — ab-interno canaloplasty (ABiC) and canal viscodilation devices that restore natural outflow without implants
Suprachoroidal shunts — Cypass, MINIject, and similar devices creating uveoscleral outflow pathways, with new devices in UK trials after earlier device withdrawals
MIGS combined with cataract surgery — trials comparing combined MIGS + phaco versus phaco alone for patients with coexisting cataract and glaucoma
ABiC with trabeculotomy — combined procedures that both remove the trabecular meshwork and dilate Schlemm's canal for enhanced outflow
Sustained-Release Drug Delivery
Poor adherence to daily eye drops is the biggest real-world challenge in glaucoma management — up to 50% of patients do not take their drops consistently:
Bimatoprost implant (Durysta) — a biodegradable intracameral implant releasing bimatoprost over 4–6 months, in UK trials for repeated-dose protocols
Travoprost punctal plug — sustained-release punctal plug systems delivering prostaglandin analogue through the lacrimal system over 3 months
Topical nanoparticle formulations — once-weekly or once-monthly eye drop formulations using nanoparticle technology for sustained drug release
Contact lens drug delivery — glaucoma medication embedded in therapeutic contact lenses, releasing drug through the cornea over weeks
Gene therapy offers the prospect of a one-time treatment for glaucoma, eliminating the need for lifelong medication:
AAV-mediated gene therapy — adenovirus-associated viral vectors delivering genes that enhance aqueous outflow or protect retinal ganglion cells, in early UK trials
RNA interference (siRNA) — small interfering RNA targeting aquaporin-1 or other genes involved in aqueous humour production to lower IOP
Antisense oligonucleotides — targeting specific gene products involved in trabecular meshwork fibrosis and outflow resistance
CRISPR-based approaches — gene editing to modify aqueous humour dynamics, though still in preclinical and very early-phase development
Gene therapy for MYOC mutations — targeted therapy for patients with myocilin-related juvenile open-angle glaucoma, a specific genetic subtype
Neuroprotection
Lowering IOP is necessary but not always sufficient — some patients continue to lose vision despite well-controlled pressure. Neuroprotection aims to preserve retinal ganglion cells independently of pressure:
Neurotrophic factor delivery — intravitreal or oral agents boosting BDNF, CNTF, and other neurotrophic factors that support retinal ganglion cell survival
Mitochondrial protection — targeting mitochondrial dysfunction in retinal ganglion cells with agents like nicotinamide (vitamin B3) and coenzyme Q10
Neuroinflammation modulators — drugs targeting microglial activation and complement-mediated neuroinflammation in the optic nerve head
Rho kinase inhibitors (dual action) — netarsudil and similar agents that both lower IOP and provide neuroprotective effects through Rho kinase inhibition
Laser and Selective Trabeculoplasty
Laser treatment is being refined as both primary and adjunctive therapy:
Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) as first-line — the LiGHT trial (led from London) established SLT as a viable first-line treatment, and follow-up studies continue to track long-term outcomes
Titanium sapphire laser — a newer laser technology for SLT with potentially less tissue damage and more repeatable treatment
SLT repeat treatment protocols — trials establishing the safety and efficacy of repeat SLT after initial treatment failure
Micropulse laser trabeculoplasty — delivering laser energy in microsecond pulses to reduce thermal damage while maintaining IOP-lowering effect
Who Can Participate?
Eligibility depends on glaucoma type, severity, and prior treatments:
MIGS trials — typically require mild-to-moderate open-angle glaucoma with IOP inadequately controlled on medication. Many MIGS trials are combined with cataract surgery, so coexisting cataract may be required
Drug trials — confirmed glaucoma diagnosis (open-angle, angle-closure, or normal-tension depending on the trial), with specific IOP requirements (often 22–34 mmHg unmedicated or inadequately controlled)
Neuroprotection trials — often require progressive visual field loss despite IOP control, demonstrating a need for pressure-independent intervention
Gene therapy trials — early-phase trials may target specific genetic mutations (e.g., MYOC) or specific glaucoma subtypes with strict molecular inclusion criteria
General exclusions — advanced glaucoma (often defined as MD worse than -12 dB), ocular surgery within 3–6 months, other retinal disease, and significant ocular surface disease
💡 Tip: Bring Your Eye Test Records
Trial teams will want to see your recent visual field tests (Humphrey 24-2 or 10-2), optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans of the retinal nerve fibre layer, current IOP readings, and a list of glaucoma medications you are using (including drop frequency and any missed doses). Your ophthalmologist or optometrist can provide these records.
UK Glaucoma Trial Locations
Major UK centres running glaucoma trials include:
London — Moorfields Eye Hospital (the world's largest eye hospital), Guy's and St Thomas', Western Eye Hospital, King's College Hospital
Birmingham — Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham
Manchester — Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, University of Manchester
Bristol — Bristol Eye Hospital, University of Bristol
Leeds — Leeds Teaching Hospitals, St James's University Hospital
Nottingham — Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham
Glasgow — Tennent Institute of Ophthalmology, Gartnavel General Hospital
Southampton — Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton
How to Find Your Match
Use our Smart Matcher to find glaucoma trials tailored to your glaucoma type, severity, current treatment, and whether you have coexisting cataract. Whether you are interested in sustained-release therapy to eliminate daily drops, MIGS as a surgical option, or neuroprotection for progressive vision loss, we can help.