Merck's DME Treatment Shows Promise in Phase 3 Trial

Pharmaceutical giant Merck has announced promising results from a mid-to-late stage trial of its injectable drug, remigromig, for diabetic macular edema (DME). The condition causes swelling and fluid buildup in the retina's central part, leading to blindness. Roughly 5.5% of people with diabetes worldwide are affected by DME.

The trial involved adult patients with DME, who received either Merck's remigromig or standard treatment ranibizumab over a 52-week period. The results showed that remigromig was non-inferior to ranibizumab for mean change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity.

Merck's CEO of EyeBio, David Guyer, hailed the achievement as 'an important milestone' and noted it represents a new mechanism of action after 20 years. The company will present the findings at the American Academy of Ophthalmology next month.