5 Key Takeaways

• 1

  Danegaptide is the first oral drug designed for diabetic retinopathy, showing promise in a phase 1b trial with 24 NPDR patients.

• 2

  The drug stabilizes gap-junctions and protects against VEGF-induced down-regulation, reducing vascular leakage and capillary breakdown.

• 3

  The trial demonstrated good safety, tolerability, and early signs of biological activity, with over half of participants showing reduced vascular leakage.

• 4

  Oral administration of danegaptide could enable earlier intervention in NPDR, potentially reducing the burden of injection-based therapies.

• 5

  Improved patient adherence and outcomes may result from switching to oral therapy, especially for those with earlier stages of NPDR.