A randomized, double-blind, phase 2 study of erythropoietin in optic neuritis.

Objective: Based on findings in animal models of autoimmune optic nerve inflammation, we have assessed the safety and efficacy of erythropoietin in patients presenting with a first episode of optic neuritis.

Methods: Patients with optic neuritis who attended the University Hospitals of Homburg/Saar, Göttingen, or Hamburg (Germany) were included in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00355095).