Merck’s return to ophthalmology snags first success

Merck’s return to ophthalmology got its first major win with remigromig, an eye drug acquired through EyeBio, meeting the main goal in a pivotal Phase 2b/3 trial for diabetic macular edema (DME).

In the BRUNELLO study, both tested doses of remigromig were non-inferior to Roche’s ranibizumab on best-corrected visual acuity at 52 weeks.

Merck said the drug was generally well tolerated, but it is also reviewing higher rates of certain retinal complications and treatment discontinuations seen in the remigromig groups.

The result is notable because remigromig uses a new mechanism tied to the Wnt pathway, which analysts say could be the first new retinal vascular disease mechanism to show phase 3-level success in about 20 years.

The readout supports Merck’s broader ophthalmology push after its EyeBio acquisition, with the company also testing another EyeBio-derived eye drug in late-stage studies.