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BioAge doses first patient in Phase 2 trial of BGE-102 for diabetic macular edema
BioAge Labs said on 8 September 2026 that it has dosed the first participant in QUELL-DME, a Phase 2 trial of its oral NLRP3 inhibitor BGE-102 in diabetic macular edema, a complication of diabetes that swells the retina. The randomized trial compares standard eye injections with and without the pill, and a sham injection with the pill. Topline results are expected in the second half of 2027.
- Design: about 180 adults split equally into three arms: anti-VEGF injection plus placebo pill, anti-VEGF injection plus BGE-102 at 90 mg once daily, or sham injection plus BGE-102.
- Oral dosing lasts 12 weeks, followed by 4 weeks of follow-up.
- Primary endpoint: change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (sight) at week 12.
- BGE-102 is an oral, once-daily, brain-penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor; the company says its Phase 1 trial showed a well-tolerated profile and large reductions in hsCRP and other inflammation markers.
- The company's own release is the source; the trial's results are not yet known.