--- title: "New Retinal Treatments: Three Advancements Shaping The Future of Eye Care" description: Explore retinal treatment advances from Merck, Kodiak Sciences and Nanoscope, including longer injection intervals and sustained vision gains. image: https://visionexecutives.com/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/Modern%20Ophthalmology%20Clinic%20With%20Retinal%20Images.png --- [Skip to content](https://visionexecutives.com/blog/new-retinal-treatments-merck-kodiak-nanoscope#main-content) [![Vision Executives Logo](https://visionexecutives.com/hubfs/Color%20logo%20with%20white%20text.svg)](https://www.visionexecutives.com/) - [About](https://visionexecutives.com/about-us) - Recruitment Services Show submenu for Recruitment Services - [Retained Recruitment](https://visionexecutives.com/retained-recruitment) - [Contingency Recruitment](https://visionexecutives.com/contingency-recruitment) - [Our Candidates](https://visionexecutives.com/our-candidates) - [FREE Bad Hire Calculator](https://visionexecutives.com/bad-hire-calculator) - [FREE Job Survey](https://visionexecutives.com/free-job-survey) - Candidate Services Show submenu for Candidate Services - [Representing You](https://visionexecutives.com/representing-you) - [CV & LinkedIn Writing Service](https://visionexecutives.com/our-packages) - [Our Vacancies](https://visionexecutives.com/vacancies) - News & Insights Show submenu for News & Insights - [Latest News & Articles](https://visionexecutives.com/blog) - [Eyewear & Optics Salary Report](https://visionexecutives.com/eyewear-optical-industry-salary-report) - [Optometrist & Ophthalmologist Salary Report](https://visionexecutives.com/optometrist-ophthalmologist-salary-report) - [Contact](https://visionexecutives.com/contact-us) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [About](https://visionexecutives.com/about-us) - Recruitment Services Show submenu for Recruitment Services - [Retained Recruitment](https://visionexecutives.com/retained-recruitment) - [Contingency Recruitment](https://visionexecutives.com/contingency-recruitment) - [Our Candidates](https://visionexecutives.com/our-candidates) - [FREE Bad Hire Calculator](https://visionexecutives.com/bad-hire-calculator) - [FREE Job Survey](https://visionexecutives.com/free-job-survey) - Candidate Services Show submenu for Candidate Services - [Representing You](https://visionexecutives.com/representing-you) - [CV & LinkedIn Writing Service](https://visionexecutives.com/our-packages) - [Our Vacancies](https://visionexecutives.com/vacancies) - News & Insights Show submenu for News & Insights - [Latest News & Articles](https://visionexecutives.com/blog) - [Eyewear & Optics Salary Report](https://visionexecutives.com/eyewear-optical-industry-salary-report) - [Optometrist & Ophthalmologist Salary Report](https://visionexecutives.com/optometrist-ophthalmologist-salary-report) - [Contact](https://visionexecutives.com/contact-us) - [EYE-INTRO Login](https://vision-executives.i-intro.net/) [EYE-INTRO Login](https://vision-executives.i-intro.net/) # New Retinal Treatments: Three Advancements Shaping The Future of Eye Care Oct 2, 2026, 12:17:58 PM [Vision Executives](https://visionexecutives.com/blog/author/vision-executives) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://visionexecutives.com/blog/new-retinal-treatments-merck-kodiak-nanoscope) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://visionexecutives.com/blog/new-retinal-treatments-merck-kodiak-nanoscope) [twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://visionexecutives.com/blog/new-retinal-treatments-merck-kodiak-nanoscope) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://visionexecutives.com/blog/new-retinal-treatments-merck-kodiak-nanoscope) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://visionexecutives.com/blog/new-retinal-treatments-merck-kodiak-nanoscope) New retinal treatments are progressing through clinical development, with recent results highlighting opportunities to broaden treatment options, extend injection intervals and deliver lasting visual improvements. Updates reported in September 2026 from **Merck, Kodiak Sciences and Nanoscope Therapeutics** address three different conditions: diabetic macular oedema, wet age-related macular degeneration and advanced retinitis pigmentosa. Each story explores a different route towards better patient care. Together, they offer an encouraging picture of retinal research, while underlining the importance of further evidence before investigational therapies become part of everyday practice. #### **Merck’s remigromig meets pivotal endpoint in diabetic macular oedema** Merck’s investigational treatment **remigromig** met its primary endpoint in the Phase 2b/3 BRUNELLO trial for adults with diabetic macular oedema, or DME. At 52 weeks, both doses achieved best-corrected visual-acuity outcomes that were non-inferior to ranibizumab, marketed as **Lucentis**. Non-inferiority means a treatment met the trial’s predefined standard for not being unacceptably worse than its comparator; it does not establish superiority. Remigromig activates the Wnt pathway, which is involved in repairing and maintaining the blood-retinal barrier. This offers a different approach from directly targeting vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF. The safety findings also need attention. Merck reported higher rates of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, vitreous haemorrhage and treatment discontinuation due to adverse events in the remigromig groups. Further analyses are underway, and another pivotal study, BAROLO, is ongoing. The development has a significant commercial background: remigromig entered Merck’s portfolio through its EyeBio acquisition, valued at up to **$3 billion**, including milestone payments. #### **Kodiak Sciences reports potential for longer wet AMD injection intervals** Kodiak Sciences announced that two investigational treatments, **tarcocimab tedromer and tabirafusp-ted**, met their primary endpoints in the Phase 3 DAYBREAK trial for wet age-related macular degeneration, or wet AMD. Both achieved vision gains non-inferior to aflibercept at year one. The most notable durability finding concerned tarcocimab: **54% of patients receiving the treatment were on a 24-week injection interval at year one**. Tarcocimab dosing was individualised after four monthly loading doses, with retreatment guided by retinal fluid. The result therefore does not mean that every patient could receive treatment twice a year from the outset. For patients able to sustain longer intervals, the potential benefit is straightforward: fewer injections and less disruption around treatment. Monitoring requirements would still need to be considered separately. Kodiak plans to submit a regulatory application for tarcocimab in the fourth quarter of 2026, drawing on results across several retinal indications. The treatment remains investigational. #### **Nanoscope reports four-year vision gains with MCO-010** Nanoscope Therapeutics’ **MCO-010** takes a different approach to advanced retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited retinal disease. The investigational optogenetic therapy is delivered through a single injection into the eye. It is designed to make surviving bipolar cells sensitive to light, rather than relying on surviving photoreceptors. Four-year REMAIN follow-up findings, discussed at the Retina Society meeting, showed sustained visual-acuity improvements. According to the report, **around 40% of treated patients maintained a gain equivalent to approximately three lines of vision through four years**. The original RESTORE trial included 27 participants, divided between high-dose, low-dose and sham groups. That small population is important context when interpreting the durability findings. These results suggest the potential for lasting improvements in selected patients with advanced disease. They do not demonstrate restoration of normal sight or establish that every patient would benefit. Longer follow-up and further evidence will help clarify the treatment’s role. #### **What these advances could mean for retinal care** The three programmes reflect distinct priorities in retinal drug development: exploring new biological pathways, making treatment less demanding and sustaining meaningful visual improvements. They should not be treated as competing results from equivalent studies. Merck’s trial used Lucentis as its comparator, Kodiak’s used aflibercept, and Nanoscope’s original study included a sham group. The conditions, patient populations and treatment approaches differ. For clinicians and patients, the next questions concern the balance of benefit and risk, which patients are most likely to respond, and how treatment would work outside a clinical trial. For healthcare organisations, our view is that successful development could also bring practical considerations around patient education, clinical training and service planning. Longer injection intervals, for example, would need to fit into an appropriate monitoring pathway.     ## Stay connected with Vision Executives. Follow Vision Executives on LinkedIn to stay up to date with the latest eye care industry news, insights and job vacancies across ophthalmology, optometry, optical retail and medical technology. 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