Macular Degeneration & Vision and Platelet-rich plasma (PRP): what the trial registry contains
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry holds 5 records for PRP in Macular Degeneration & Vision: 1 recruiting now, 1 labelled Phase 3 or 4, across 3 countries. Snapshot 2026-08-29.
Why this is studied in Macular Degeneration & Vision
Age-related macular degeneration destroys retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors. Replacement of RPE from pluripotent sources is one of the most technically advanced cell programmes anywhere, with surgical delivery and detailed imaging endpoints. It is also an area where unregulated intravitreal injections have caused documented severe vision loss.
What PRP means in this table
Platelet-rich plasma is a blood product, not a stem-cell product, though it is routinely sold as part of the same package. Preparation varies enormously between systems — platelet concentration, leukocyte content and activation all differ — so the label describes a category of procedure rather than a defined substance, which is the main reason its trial literature is so inconsistent.
The numbers
Every figure below comes from one reproducible query (macular degeneration x platelet-rich plasma) run against ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 on 2026-08-29.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Registered studies (all statuses) | 5 |
| Interventional studies in the sample | 5 |
| Recruiting right now | 1 |
| Completed | 3 |
| Terminated, withdrawn or suspended | 0 |
| Phase 3 or Phase 4 records | 1 |
| Countries with at least one site | 3 |
| Median planned enrolment | 28 participants |
| Largest single planned enrolment | 36 participants |
| First / most recent start year | 2018 — 2025 |
How mature is this evidence?
Later-phase work exists but is not dominant (1 of 5), which is the typical profile of a field that has shown safety and is still testing whether benefit survives a control arm.
0 of these records (0%) were terminated, withdrawn or suspended, against 3 marked completed; unfinished studies rarely appear in marketing summaries.
| Phase label | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Not applicable | 3 | 50% |
| Phase 1 | 1 | 17% |
| Phase 2 | 1 | 17% |
| Phase 3 | 1 | 17% |
Median planned enrolment is 28 participants (largest single study: 36). Trials of this size can describe safety and generate hypotheses; detecting a modest clinical benefit reliably usually needs substantially larger numbers with a control group.
Where the studies are
Country coverage runs to 3, but the distribution has a long tail behind Italy at about 40% of mentions.
| Country | Studies with a site there |
|---|---|
| Italy | 2 |
| Turkey (Türkiye) | 2 |
| Brazil | 1 |
Legal pathway differs by country — see where cell therapy is legal, by country.
Who runs them
Lead sponsors split roughly 4 academic or hospital against 1 commercial — a academic profile. Commercial sponsorship is not a red flag by itself, but it changes publication incentives.
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS — 2 records
- Rubens Camargo Siqueira — 1 record
- Ankara Universitesi Teknokent — 1 record
- Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital — 1 record
Representative registered studies
Recruiting studies first, then the most advanced phases. Each identifier links to the registry record, where eligibility criteria, outcome measures and contacts are published.
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT05706896 — Atrophic Age-related Macular Degeneration Treated With Intravitreal Injections of Umbilical Cord Blood Platelet-rich Plasma | n/a | Recruiting | 36 | Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS | 2022-12-14 |
| NCT07341919 — Subtenon Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma in Inherited and Degenerative Retinal Diseases | Phase 1, Phase 2 | Active Not Recruiting | 30 | Rubens Camargo Siqueira | 2025-01-04 |
| NCT04636853 — CB-PRP in Retinitis Pigmentosa and Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration | Phase 3 | Completed | 20 | Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS | 2020-12-23 |
| NCT07428798 — Subtenon PRP Injection for Geographic Atrophy in Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration | n/a | Completed | 14 | Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital | 2024-07-01 |
| NCT04242719 — Management of Deep Retinal Capillary Ischemia by Electromagnetic Stimulation and Platelet- Rich Plasma | n/a | Completed | 28 | Ankara Universitesi Teknokent | 2018-01-01 |
What this page does and does not tell you
None of these numbers say the therapy works. They say how much organised research exists and how far along it is; effect sizes live in published results, not registry entries.
If a clinic offers you this today, the useful question is not "is there research?" but "which of these registered studies is mine part of, and if none, what evidence applies to the exact product I am being sold?" The Provider Question Builder turns that into a scored checklist.
Frequently asked
How many PRP studies for Macular Degeneration & Vision are recruiting right now?
1 of 5 registered records were listed as recruiting in the 2026-08-29 snapshot. Recruitment status changes frequently; the registry record is authoritative.
Is PRP an approved treatment for Macular Degeneration & Vision?
Registration on ClinicalTrials.gov is not approval. Approval is granted by a regulator for a specific product and indication after review of submitted evidence. 5 registered studies tell you research exists, not that a product cleared review.
How advanced is the research on PRP for Macular Degeneration & Vision?
1 of 5 records carry a Phase 3 or Phase 4 label and 3 are marked completed. Registrations run from 2018 to 2025.
Registry and literature counts retrieved 2026-08-29 (ClinicalTrials.gov API v2; PubMed E-utilities). Registration or publication volume measures research activity, not effectiveness or approval. Educational information — not medical advice; verify product, indication, legal pathway and evidence with an independent qualified physician. Page generated 2026-08-29. See our editorial standards.
More on this condition
- Macular Degeneration & Vision: cell-therapy evidence and registered trials
- How much does stem cell therapy for Macular Degeneration & Vision cost? (2026)
- Macular Degeneration & Vision stem cell therapy — your questions answered (2026)
- Macular Degeneration & Vision: cell-therapy evidence by therapy class
Download the query data
Query totals are full API matches; status, phase and country counts describe the first up to 400 returned records per query. Query classes overlap and must not be summed as unique trials. Counts are not treatment outcomes. Snapshot: 2026-08-29. Methods and field definitions.