Persistent Corneal Epithelial DefectPhase 2CHASENCT05727878
Trial to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy of KPI-012 Ophthalmic Solution in Participants With PCED
A Phase 2 study testing KPI-012 in people with Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defect, run by Combangio, Inc at 46 sites in 3 countries.
Trial summary
The primary objective of the study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of KPI-012 compared to vehicle in participants who have a documented clinical diagnosis of PCED. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defect
- What is being tested?
- KPI-012
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 103 participants
- Where
- 46 sitesin 3 countries
- Study dates
- 7 Feb 2023to 19 Oct 2025
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Have PCED for at least 7 days prior due to an underlying condition such as diabetic keratopathy, herpetic eye disease, severe dry eye disease, limbal stem cell deficiency, infectious keratitis, neurotrophic keratitis, post ocular surgery, medical trauma, chemical burn, etc.
- PCED measurements meet study criteria.
Who cannot join
- Any active ocular infection or any active infectious disease that could impact the PCED.
- Severe corneal burns in the Study Eye.
- Severe limbal stem cell deficiency in either eye.
- The circumference affected by limbal blood vessel ischemia greater than 75% of the circumference in the Study Eye.
- Severe blepharitis or severe meibomian gland disease.
- Severe eyelid abnormalities in the Study Eye, contributory to the persistence of the PCED.
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- Evidence of corneal ulceration.
- Anticipated need for punctal occlusion.
- Use of Oxervate in the Study Eye within past 30 days.
- History of any surgical procedure for treatment of the study PCED.
- History of any other ocular surgery in the Study Eye within 90 days prior to screening.
- Not willing to suspend use of contact lens in the Study Eye.
- Any use of Botox injections to induce pharmacologic blepharoptosis in the 90 days.
- Expected use of systemic doxycycline.
- Any use of chemotherapeutic agents within 7 days prior to Study, or anticipated use during the study.
- History of current drug or alcohol abuse or addiction.
- Use of another investigational agent within 30 days.
- Participants who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning a pregnancy during the study.
Trial locations and contacts
46 sites in 3 countries.
46 sites in 3 countries
United States43 sites
Principal Investigator
Atlanta, Georgia, 30339
Principal Investigator
Aurora, Colorado, 80045
Principal Investigator
Austin, Texas, 78712
Principal Investigator
Austin, Texas, 78731
Principal Investigator
Boston, Massachusetts, 02111
Principal Investigator
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114
Principal Investigator
Carmel, Indiana, 46290
Principal Investigator
Chesterfield, Missouri, 63017
Principal Investigator
Dothan, Alabama, 36301
Principal investigator
Durham, North Carolina, 27710
Principal Investigator
Fort Collins, Colorado, 80528
Principal Investigator
Garner, North Carolina, 27529
Principal Investigator
Houston, Texas, 77030
Principal Investigator
Indianapolis, Indiana, 46260
Principal Investigator
Irvine, California, 92897
Principal Investigator
Kansas City, Missouri, 64111
Principal Investigator
Kansas City, Missouri, 64133
Principal Investigator
Kenosha, Wisconsin, 53142
Principal Investigator
La Jolla, California, 92037
Principal Investigator
Littleton, Colorado, 80120
Principal Investigator
Loma Linda, California, 92354
Principal Investigator
Los Angeles, California, 90013
Principal Investigator
Los Angeles, California, 90095
Principal Investigator
Louisville, Kentucky, 40206
Principal Investigator
Memphis, Tennessee, 38119
Principal Investigator
Miami, Florida, 33136
Principal Investigator
Miami, Florida, 33143
Principal Investigator
Morgantown, West Virginia, 25606
Principal Investigator
Nashville, Tennessee, 37215
Principal Investigator
New York, New York, 10036
Principal Investigator
Norfolk, Virginia, 23502
Principal Investigator
Orange City, Florida, 32763
Principal Investigator
Palisades Park, New Jersey, 07650
Principal Investigator
Pasadena, California, 91107
Principal Investigator
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107
Principal Investigator
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15219
Principal Investigator
Powell, Ohio, 43065
Principal Investigator
Rancho Cordova, California, 95670
Principal Investigator
Rapid City, South Dakota, 57701
Principal Investigator
Rockville Centre, New York, 11570
Principal Investigator
San Antonio, Texas, 78212
Principal Investigator
Seattle, Washington, 98119
Principal Investigator
St Louis, Missouri, 63131
Argentina2 sites
Principal Investigator
Caba, Buenos Aires, C1428ARF
Principal Investigator
Rosario, Santa Fe Province, S2000
About this study
Official title: A Study to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy of KPI-012 Ophthalmic Solution in Participants With Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defect (PCED)
The primary objective of the study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of KPI-012 compared to vehicle in participants who have a documented clinical diagnosis of PCED.
Read the detailed description
Approximately 90 participants diagnosed with persistent corneal epithelial defect (PCED) will be enrolled at multiple US centers in a study to assess the safety and efficacy of KPI-012, a topical mesenchymal stem cell secretome therapy. After an initial cohort of at least 2 participants to evaluate the safety of the high strength product, participants in the second cohort will be randomized to treatment with either the product or vehicle (placebo) for 8 weeks. The percentage of healing will be compared between groups treated with product and vehicle. Total length of study participation will be approximately 34 weeks.
- Conditions
- Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defect
- Being tested
- KPI-012, KPI-012 Vehicle
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
KPI-012Drug
KPI-012 is a secretome product composed of biologically active components secreted from human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells
KPI-012 VehicleDrug
KPI-012 formulation with no active drug
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cohort 1, Arm 1 | Experimental | KPI-012 High Dose KPI-012 Ophthalmic Solution 3 U/mL 1 drop 4 times/day for 56 days Receives: Drug: KPI-012 |
| Cohort 2, Arm 1 | Experimental | KPI-012 Low Dose KPI-012 Ophthalmic Solution 1 U/mL 1 drop 4 times/day for 56 days Receives: Drug: KPI-012 |
| Cohort 2, Arm 2 | Experimental | KPI-012 High Dose KPI-012 Ophthalmic Solution 3 U/mL 1 drop 4 times/day for 56 days Receives: Drug: KPI-012 |
| Cohort 2, Arm 3 | Placebo comparator | KPI-012 Vehicle KPI-012 Ophthalmic Solution 0 U/mL 1 drop 4 times/day for 56 days Receives: Drug: KPI-012 Vehicle |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Response status
Complete healing of the PCED and no corneal fluorescein staining in the area of the study lesion.
Measured: Day 56
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Feb 2023
- Study start7 Feb 2023
- Primary completion29 Sep 2025
- Study completion19 Oct 2025
Why it stopped: Lack of efficacy
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Persistent Corneal Epithelial DefectStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 103 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Combangio, Inc
- Sponsor type
- Industry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Collaborators
- Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Kristie Veasey, Study director, Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05727878
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- KPI-012-C-001
- Acronym
- CHASE
- Status last verified
- Oct 2025
- First submitted
- 6 Feb 2023
- Last updated
- 22 Oct 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Oct 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Study to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy of KPI-012 Ophthalmic Solution in Participants With Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defect (PCED)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05727878
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CHASE / KPI-012-C-001
- Conditions
- Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defect
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: Lack of efficacy
- Enrolment
- 103 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Combangio, IncIndustry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Collaborators
- Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Study start
- 7 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 29 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 19 Oct 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 14 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The primary objective of the study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of KPI-012 compared to vehicle in participants who have a documented clinical diagnosis of PCED.
Detailed description
Approximately 90 participants diagnosed with persistent corneal epithelial defect (PCED) will be enrolled at multiple US centers in a study to assess the safety and efficacy of KPI-012, a topical mesenchymal stem cell secretome therapy. After an initial cohort of at least 2 participants to evaluate the safety of the high strength product, participants in the second cohort will be randomized to treatment with either the product or vehicle (placebo) for 8 weeks. The percentage of healing will be compared between groups treated with product and vehicle. Total length of study participation will be approximately 34 weeks.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cohort 1, Arm 1 | Experimental | Drug: KPI-012KPI-012 High Dose KPI-012 Ophthalmic Solution 3 U/mL 1 drop 4 times/day for 56 days |
| Cohort 2, Arm 1 | Experimental | Drug: KPI-012KPI-012 Low Dose KPI-012 Ophthalmic Solution 1 U/mL 1 drop 4 times/day for 56 days |
| Cohort 2, Arm 2 | Experimental | Drug: KPI-012KPI-012 High Dose KPI-012 Ophthalmic Solution 3 U/mL 1 drop 4 times/day for 56 days |
| Cohort 2, Arm 3 | Placebo comparator | Drug: KPI-012 VehicleKPI-012 Vehicle KPI-012 Ophthalmic Solution 0 U/mL 1 drop 4 times/day for 56 days |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Have PCED for at least 7 days prior due to an underlying condition such as diabetic keratopathy, herpetic eye disease, severe dry eye disease, limbal stem cell deficiency, infectious keratitis, neurotrophic keratitis, post ocular surgery, medical trauma, chemical burn, etc.
- PCED measurements meet study criteria.
Key exclusion criteria (18 listed)
- Any active ocular infection or any active infectious disease that could impact the PCED.
- Severe corneal burns in the Study Eye.
- Severe limbal stem cell deficiency in either eye.
- The circumference affected by limbal blood vessel ischemia greater than 75% of the circumference in the Study Eye.
- Severe blepharitis or severe meibomian gland disease.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| KPI-012KPI-012 is a secretome product composed of biologically active components secreted from human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells | Drug | Cohort 1, Arm 1, Cohort 2, Arm 1, Cohort 2, Arm 2 |
| KPI-012 VehicleKPI-012 formulation with no active drug | Drug | Cohort 2, Arm 3 |
Primary outcome
Response status
Time frame: Day 56
Complete healing of the PCED and no corneal fluorescein staining in the area of the study lesion.
Results and safety
The study was stopped early (reason given: Lack of efficacy). Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Oct 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Kristie Veasey study director
Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
46 sites in 3 countries: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing KPI-012 in people with Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defect, run by Combangio, Inc at 46 sites in 3 countries.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 18 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Oct 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 46 sites in United States, Argentina, Puerto Rico. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
The study was stopped early (reason given: Lack of efficacy). Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Response status (time frame: Day 56). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Oct 2025.