\n<\/p>\n
Merck said on Thursday its Remigromig, an injectable drug for a serious eye disease affecting people with diabetes, \u200bwas as effective as the current standard treatment in improving visual \u200csharpness in a clinical trial.<\/p>\n
In the 52-week study with 984 diabetic macular edema patients, the experimental treatment, remigromig, was non-inferior to Roche\u2019s ranibizumab for mean change from baseline in a test measuring \u200bvision while using proper corrective lenses.<\/p>\n
Remigromig activates a cell growth-regulating system called the Wnt pathway to \u200bhelp repair the retina\u2019s leaky blood-vessel barrier and reduce swelling that \u2060blurs vision in patients with the condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf approved, remigromig would be the first \u200bnovel mechanism of action for retinal vascular diseases in more than two decades,\u201d \u200bsaid Scotiabank analyst Louise Chen.<\/p>\n
The results also build on Merck\u2019s ophthalmology pipeline, which could become an important therapeutic area for the company, analysts said.<\/p>\n
Merck\u2019s shares climbed 1.7% in morning trading.<\/p>\n
Merck said remigromig was well tolerated, although the rate of \u200bdiscontinuation due to certain retinal vascular complications was higher than that with ranibizumab. The company is analyzing \u200cthe \u2060findings.<\/p>\n
BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman said the full trial results and supportive data are required before assessing remigromig\u2019s commercial potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cSafety remains a focus into the full data with more color needed on the imbalances noted in today\u2019s release,\u201d Seigerman said.<\/p>\n
Diabetic \u200bmacular edema is \u200ba complication of \u2060diabetes in which damaged blood vessels in the retina leak fluid into the macula, the part of the eye responsible \u200bfor sharp, central vision, causing swelling and blurred or reduced \u200bvision.<\/p>\n
Roughly 5.5% \u2060of all people with diabetes worldwide are affected by DME, according to National Institutes of Health data.<\/p>\n
Common treatments include anti-VEGF eye injections like ranibizumab, which block or \u2060regulate the \u200bformation and growth of blood vessels, laser therapy \u200band steroid injections or implants.<\/p>\n
Merck will present the results at the annual meeting of the American \u200bAcademy of Ophthalmology next month.<\/p>\n
About Remigromig<\/strong><\/p>\n Remigromig (MK-3000, formerly EYE103) is an investigational, potentially first-in-class tetravalent, tri-specific antibody designed to activate the Wingless-related integration site (Wnt) pathway, which is involved in the repair and maintenance of the blood-retinal-barrier. Remigromig is being studied in patients with certain retinal diseases including diabetic macular edema (DME) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD). Remigromig is administered by intravitreal injection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n