ARVO 2026: Vamikibart IL-6 Inhibition in Diabetic Macular Edema
Key Questions
What is vamikibart and its mechanism in diabetic macular edema?
Vamikibart is an IL-6 inhibitor targeting inflammation beyond VEGF in DME. It shows efficacy signals in treatment-naïve patients, reinforcing novel targets for refractory and undertreated DME.
What were the results from the BARDENAS Phase 2 trial?
In BARDENAS, vamikibart combined with ranibizumab led to +12.8 letters BCVA gain and 202µm CST reduction, superior to ranibizumab alone. This highlights IL-6's role in DME treatment.
What do ALLUVIUM and UME trials show for vamikibart?
ALLUVIUM monotherapy in naïve DME patients showed +4-7 letters better than ranibizumab. Phase 3 UME achieved CST win versus sham, supporting advancement of IL-6 inhibition.
Ph2 BARDENAS combo +ranibizumab +12.8L BCVA/202µm CST superior to ran solo; ALLUVIUM mono naive efficacy signals (+4-7L vs ran) highlights IL-6 role beyond VEGF; Ph3 UME CST win vs sham. Dr. Do CME BRB dysfunction reinforces novel inflammation targets for refractory/undertreated DME, AWARE Delphi alignment.