Merck's Investigational Diabetes-Related Blindness Drug Shows Promise

Merck & Co Inc has announced topline results from its pivotal Phase 2b/3 BRUNELLO trial evaluating remigromig, an investigational tetravalent, tri-specific antibody for diabetic macular edema (DME).

DME is a serious eye complication of diabetes where high blood sugar damages tiny retinal blood vessels, causing them to leak fluid into the macula and making it swell.

At 52 weeks, both doses of remigromig demonstrated non-inferiority to Roche's Lucentis (ranibizumab) for mean change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in patients with DME.

The company is advancing its ophthalmology pipeline aimed at promoting retinal recovery by addressing specific retinal diseases associated with vascular leakage and neovascularization, including DME, neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD), and macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO).