Summary
Brimonidine has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). ClinicalTrials.gov lists 4 registered trials linking Brimonidine to Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): 3 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT02087085). It plans or enrolled 310 participants. Registration activity spans 2008 to 2014. The literature layer holds 5 publications for this pair: 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2014 to 2023. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Age-Related Macular Degeneration ranks 450 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Dry AMD: slow progressive loss; wet AMD progresses rapidly without treatment (50% of untreated reach legal blindness within 2 years); no spontaneous remission of either form.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 42.0 (trials 12.0, literature 10.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 4 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 3 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 5 (5 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | agonist |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ADRA2C |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT00864838 | Oral Acetazolamide, Brimonidine Tartarate, and Anterior Chamber Paracentesis for Ocular Hypertension Control After Intravitreal Bevacizumab 2008 | completed | Phase 2 | 56 |
| NCT00804921 | Effectiveness of Oral Acetazolamide, Brimonidine Tartarate, and Anterior Chamber Paracentesis in Intraocular Pressure (IOP) After Bevacizumab | completed | Phase 2 | — |
| NCT00658619 | Safety and Efficacy of Brimonidine Intravitreal Implant in Patients With Geographic Atrophy Due to Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) 2008 | completed | Phase 2 | 119 |
| NCT02087085 | A Safety and Efficacy Study of Brimonidine Intravitreal Implant in Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-related Macular Degeneration 2014 | terminated | Phase 2 | 310 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Randomized Phase IIb Study of Brimonidine Drug Delivery System Generation 2 for Geographic Atrophy in Age-Related Macular DegenerationFreeman WR, Bandello F, Souied E et al. · Ophthalmology. Retina · 2023 · PMID 36906177
- Clinical trial publication PHASE 2 STUDY OF THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF BRIMONIDINE DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM (BRIMO DDS) GENERATION 1 IN PATIENTS WITH GEOGRAPHIC ATROPHY SECONDARY TO AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATIONKuppermann BD, Patel SS, Boyer DS et al. · Retina (Philadelphia, Pa.) · 2021 · PMID 32134802
- Clinical trial publication Hypotensive efficacy of topical brimonidine for intraocular pressure spikes following intravitreal injections of antivascular endothelial growth factor agents: a randomised crossover trialFelfeli T, Hostovsky A, Trussart R et al. · The British journal of ophthalmology · 2019 · PMID 30573499
- Clinical trial publication Comparison of dorzolamide/timolol versus brimonidine/timolol fixed combination therapy in the management of steroid-induced ocular hypertensionSeymenoğlu G, Baser EF, Öztürk B et al. · Journal of glaucoma · 2015 · PMID 23807349
- Clinical trial publication Role of brimonidine in the treatment of clinically significant macular edema with ischemic changes in diabetic maculopathyGupta PC, Sood S, Narang S et al. · International ophthalmology · 2014 · PMID 24214140
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: agonist.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRA2C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Brimonidine approved for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)?
Brimonidine has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Brimonidine in clinical trials for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 4 registered trials linking Brimonidine to Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD): 3 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT02087085). It plans or enrolled 310 participants. Registration activity spans 2008 to 2014.
What does the evidence show for Brimonidine in Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)?
Brimonidine has 3 completed trials and 5 linked publications for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Completed trials may or may not have posted results; follow the NCT links to check. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRA2C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.