17 January 2025
Three-year results of the Myopia Outcome Study of Atropine in Children (MOSAIC) randomised clinical trial have been reported in JAMA Ophthalmology.
The study, which took place at the Centre for Eye Research Ireland in Dublin, followed on from the two-year MOSAIC trial of different atropine concentrations and regimens among 250 children and adolescents.
As part of the third year of the MOSAIC trial, 66 participants who had received nightly placebo eye drops for two years were given nightly 0.05% eye drops for one year.
Another group of 133 study participants who had received nightly 0.05% atropine drops for two years were re-randomised to either instil placebo drops nightly, taper placebo drops, or taper 0.01% atropine drops during the third year.
The researchers found that among the 66 participants who switched from nightly placebo drops to 0.05% atropine, around one in five experienced transient blurred near vision or photophobia.
However, researchers reported that while there were more adverse events among those using 0.05% atropine, there were no significant differences in treatment completion rates.
Those assigned 0.05% atropine eye drops exhibited 0.13-D less myopia progression and 0.06-mm less axial elongation, compared with participants using placebo.
“These findings support consideration of treatment of childhood myopia with 0.05% atropine eye drops despite more adverse events in this group,” the researchers highlighted.
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Anonymous23 January 2025
Have to agree with the commenter below - “the researchers” as quoted here seem incredibly optimistic in their interpretation of a 0.13D difference to state that “These findings support consideration of treatment of childhood myopia with 0.05% atropine eye drops despite more adverse events in this group,”
What possible real world benefit is conferred by being 0.13 less myopic? (if that effect is even sustained once treatment is discontinued)
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Anonymous23 January 2025
I have to say some of the results from atropine trials published over the past few years have been disappointing. You wonder whether it would be worth the hassle, cost and potential side effects of putting these drops into a child’s eyes every night for a 0.13D reduction in progression over 3 years, which may or may not be lost to rebound in the long term. The ATLAS study findings (10 and 20 year follow up from ATOM 1&2 trials) certainly weren’t promising in that regard.
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