Summary
Clonidine Hydrochloride has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Glaucoma would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Glaucoma. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Clonidine Hydrochloride to Glaucoma: 1 has completed. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT00279253). It plans or enrolled 12 participants. Registered activity dates to 2004. The literature layer holds 3 publications for this pair: 3 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1977 to 1992. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Glaucoma ranks 339 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: Progressive optic nerve damage without treatment; average visual field loss 0.5-1.0 dB/year; blindness in 10-20% without treatment; no spontaneous recovery of lost vision.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 30.5 (trials 4.5, literature 6.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 3 (3 clinical trial publications) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | agonist; 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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT00279253 | Effects of Intravenous Clonidine on Ocular Blood Flow and Intraocular Pressure 2004 | completed | Phase 4 | 12 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication [Various clonidine drops in treatment of glaucoma]Szymański A, Brozyna-Zyłka B, Sobieraj A et al. · Klinika oczna · 1992 · PMID 1306536
- Clinical trial publication Treatment of glaucoma using minidrops of clonidinePetursson G, Cole R, Hanna C · Archives of ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) · 1984 · PMID 6380466
- Clinical trial publication Clonidine. Effects of a topically administered solution on intraocular pressure and blood pressure in open-angle glaucomaHarrison R, Kaufmann CS · Archives of ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) · 1977 · PMID 889511
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: agonist; 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 Clonidine Hydrochloride approved for Glaucoma?
Clonidine Hydrochloride has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Glaucoma would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Glaucoma. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Clonidine Hydrochloride in clinical trials for Glaucoma?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Clonidine Hydrochloride to Glaucoma: 1 has completed. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT00279253). It plans or enrolled 12 participants. Registered activity dates to 2004.
What does the evidence show for Clonidine Hydrochloride in Glaucoma?
Clonidine Hydrochloride has 1 completed trial and 3 linked publications for Glaucoma. 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.