Testing an oral medication to slow vision loss in inherited retinal disease

This trial is testing whether metformin, an inexpensive oral medication commonly used for diabetes, might help slow vision loss in people with ABCA4 retinopathy—a rare inherited eye disease that damages light-sensitive cells in the retina over time. The medication works by helping the eye clean up harmful waste products that build up in the cells responsible for vision. Researchers want to see if the medication is safe and whether it can slow the rate of vision decline.

ABCA4 retinopathy causes progressive vision loss as the retina breaks down, and currently there is no approved treatment to slow this decline. This study explores whether this medication could help by making the eye's cells better at clearing out the toxic waste that damages vision.