A single injection of sura-vec, a gene therapy, significantly reduced the severity of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy for up to two years in a phase 2 trial. Among patients receiving the highest dose without additional treatment, nearly half showed meaningful improvement on a standard severity scale — and none got worse. The findings could signal a major shift away from the burden of frequent anti-VEGF injections.
Patients with early diabetic retinopathy may soon have a far more convenient treatment option. Interim data from the phase 2 ALTITUDE trial, presented at Optometry's Meeting, show that a single suprachoroidal injection of sura-vec (surabgene lomparvovec) reduced disease severity for up to two years — without the need for repeated visits and injections that current anti-VEGF therapies require.
The trial enrolled 99 patients across a range of diabetic retinopathy severity. Among the 11 patients who received the highest dose with no additional treatment, 5 showed at least a two-step improvement on the Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale by year two, and none worsened. Compared to historical sham-treated controls from the PANORAMA and Protocol W trials, vision-threatening events were at least 70% less common in the highest-dose group.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness, and adherence to frequent injection schedules is a real barrier to care. A one-time gene therapy that delivers sustained anti-VEGF expression could dramatically improve long-term outcomes — especially for patients who struggle with regular clinic visits. A phase 2b/3 trial (NAAVIGATE) is now underway.
