EURETINA 2026: EYP-1901 reduces need for supplemental treatment in phase 2 VERONA study of DME

At the 26th EURETINA Congress in Vienna, Austria, Katherine Talcott, MD, of the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, discussed findings from VERONA. VERONA is a phase 2 study of EYP-1901 (EyePoint Pharmaceuticals) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).

About EYP-1901

EYP-1901 is a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) delivered as an intravitreal insert. It is designed to last approximately 6 months. Talcott said the drug acts on the VEGF signalling pathway and also targets PDGFR and IL-6-mediated inflammation.

Study design

VERONA enrolled patients with previously treated DME. At baseline, all patients received aflibercept 2 mg (Eylea; Regeneron). They were randomised to receive sham, EYP-1901 1.3 mg or EYP-1901 2.7 mg. Patients were followed for 6 months. From month 1, they could receive supplemental treatment if they met prespecified criteria.

Efficacy

The study met its primary endpoint. Talcott said patients who received EYP-1901 in addition to aflibercept needed less supplemental treatment than those who did not. Significantly more patients in the EYP-1901 groups remained supplement-free.

Visual acuity improved to a greater extent in the EYP-1901 groups, and the difference was evident 1 month after the initial injection. Talcott said this suggests the drug is available early. These gains were maintained over 6 months. Central subfield thickness (CST) followed a similar pattern: it improved from 1 month and the improvement was maintained through 6 months. EYP-1901 also had a significant effect on macular leakage and macular volume, which Talcott described as important biomarkers in DME.

Safety

Talcott reported no significant safety signals. There were no cases of intraocular inflammation, vasculitis or endophthalmitis. No patients discontinued treatment because of the study drug.

An unexpected early effect

The finding that surprised Talcott most was the difference in vision and optical coherence tomography (OCT) outcomes as early as 1 month. “Based on the mechanism of TKIs, I would have expected just a decreased burden, but it actually looked like the patients who were treated with both had improved vision and better anatomy than the patients who only received aflibercept,” she said.

Next steps

According to Talcott, the phase 3 pivotal trials COMO and CAPRI are both fully enrolled, and results are expected in Q4 2027. She said the approach could benefit patients by maintaining visual acuity gains and anatomical improvement while reducing treatment frequency and treatment burden.