Earlier this year, EyePoint Pharmaceuticals faced doubts about its drug-device combo, Duravyu, after it failed in a study for nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). However, the company has bounced back due to promising new data from a trial for diabetic macular edema (DME).
In the VERONA trial, Duravyu showed significant improvements in vision and eye health for DME patients compared to a popular drug, Eylea. This interim data looks at the results after 16 weeks of treatment. Analyst Graig Suvannavejh from Mizuho Securities described the results as “very promising” for both effectiveness and safety, suggesting Duravyu might be a top choice for treating various retinal diseases.
EyePoint’s stock rose by about 35% following this news. Previously, the stock had dropped sharply in May after Duravyu’s setback in the NPDR study but has been slowly recovering.
Duravyu is a long-lasting eye insert that releases a drug called vorolanib. While not approved in the U.S., vorolanib is approved in China in pill form for certain cancer treatments.
In the trial, patients on a 2.7 mg dose of Duravyu improved their vision by 8.9 letters, compared to 3.2 letters with Eylea. Duravyu also showed better results in reducing retinal thickness. These benefits appeared just four weeks into the trial and continued at 24 weeks.
Currently, DME patients often need frequent eye injections, which can be burdensome and lead to under-treatment, according to Charles Wykoff from Retina Consultants of Texas.
The VERONA trial involved 27 patients and tested two doses of Duravyu against Eylea in patients who had previously received standard treatments. The unexpected positive results have put EyePoint in a strong position, being the only company with successful phase 2 data for a maintenance treatment using a specific type of drug for retinal diseases.
EyePoint plans to release full trial results in early 2025. They are also testing Duravyu for another eye condition, wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD).
This positive data is a much-needed recovery for EyePoint and Duravyu, especially after doubts arose when the drug didn’t meet expectations in the NPDR study. At that time, only a small percentage of patients showed improvement, which was a major disappointment for the company.