Luminate: A Promising Addition to the Macular Edema Armamentarium

In this interview from AAO 2017, Dr. Barry Kuppermann discusses data from a phase 2b trial assessing Luminate, a first-in-class an anti-integrin RGD peptide inhibitor, for diabetic macular edema (DME). The 20-week-long study suggests that Luminate could significantly reduce injection burden: Patients who received a single initial injection of bevacizumab, followed by 3 injections of Luminate and 12-weeks off-therapy had visual gains comparable to control patients who received monthly bevacizumab. Additionally, a secondary analysis showed patients who were previously treated with bevacizumab had a better response on Luminate compared with those who continued on bevacizumab. Dr. Kupperman, who hopes that this novel drug will represent a new treatment option for those refractory to anti-VEGF therapy, expects phase 3 trials to begin next year.

Relevant Financial Disclosures: Dr. Kupperman is a consultant for and receives grant support from Allegro Ophthalmics.