The Retina TL;DR: Advancing sustained VEGF suppression with EYP-1901 with Jay S. Duker, MD

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In this episode of The Retina TL;DR, powered by Modern Retina, host Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, FASRS, welcomes Jay S. Duker, MD, adjunct professor at the Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, and president and chief executive officer of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, for a discussion on EYP-1901 (DURAVYU), a novel sustained-release therapy for VEGF-mediated retinal diseases. Weng is professor and the Alice R. McPherson Retina Research Foundation Chair in Ophthalmology, and fellowship program director, vitreoretinal diseases and surgery with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

When asked to summarize EyePoint Pharmaceuticals’ focus in a “TL;DR” (“too long; didn’t read”), Duker explained that the company aims to improve the management of chronic VEGF-mediated diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema by offering a long-term sustained-release option through EYP-1901 (DURAVYU).

Why TKIs? A new mechanism for an old problem

Weng framed the conversation by asking why a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) might be needed when current anti-VEGF agents are already highly effective. Duker acknowledged that existing therapies “are safe and they work—but they don’t last very long.” TKIs, he explained, are small molecules that act intracellularly, blocking VEGF signaling through a different mechanism. “Most chronic diseases are treated with multiple mechanisms of action,” he said. “Wet AMD is one of the few that really relies on just one—VEGF blockade.” By introducing TKIs into this space, EyePoint Pharmaceuticals aims to expand the treatment toolkit while extending durability.

Inside EYP-1901

EYP-1901 combines the small-molecule TKI vorolanib with the company’s Durasert E bioerodible delivery platform. Duker noted that the company has completed both a Phase 1 trial (DAVIO) and a Phase 2 trial (DAVIO 2) in wet AMD, enrolling roughly 180 patients in total—the most extensive sustained-release TKI dataset to date. EyePoint Pharmaceuticals is conducting two pivotal Phase 3 trials, LUGANO and LUCIA. “LUGANO is fully enrolled with over 400 patients, and LUCIA is about two-thirds enrolled,” he said, adding that nearly 700 patients have been randomized in just over 7 months. Importantly, no significant safety issues have been reported, either ocular or systemic. EDITOR'S NOTE: At time of publication, both LUGANO and LUCIA have been fully enrolled

In both Phase 3 studies, the primary endpoint is non-inferiority in visual acuity change compared with on-label aflibercept given every 8 weeks. EYP-1901 delivers 2.7 mg of vorolanib every 6 months, with secondary endpoints including safety and reduction in treatment burden. Topline results from LUGANO are anticipated in summer 2026, followed by LUCIA later that year.

The real-world vision: Monotherapy and beyond

Duker expects EYP-1901 to serve both as a monotherapy and in combination with existing agents. “Assuming it’s approved as safe, effective, and tolerable with an every-6-month label, many patients will be able to use DURAVYU alone,” he said. At the same time, he sees clinical logic in dual-mechanism therapy: “Using 2 mechanisms of action in a chronic disease makes sense. I wouldn’t be surprised if practitioners combine a ligand blocker and a TKI to keep patients treated longer, with fewer missed visits.”

What sets EYP-1901 apart

Asked what differentiates EYP-1901 from other TKIs in development, Duker emphasized that “you can’t separate the molecule from the delivery system.” The fully bioerodible Durasert E platform is engineered for zero-order release over at least six months, maintaining steady intravitreal concentrations. Vorolanib itself inhibits all VEGF receptors as well as PDGF, offering potential antifibrotic and neuroprotective effects. “We showed in an animal model of retinal detachment that vorolanib was potentially neuroprotective,” Duker noted, which may confer advantages beyond simple VEGF inhibition. The insert is also shelf-stable at room temperature, simplifying storage and logistics.

Safety, scale, and scope

Duker highlighted the long clinical history of EyePoint’s technology. “Durasert, in its nonerodible form, has been used safely in tens of thousands of eyes across four FDA-approved products,” he said. That record gives physicians confidence in the safety and predictability of the platform as the company advances its bioerodible generation. With active programs in both wet AMD and diabetic macular edema, EyePoint’s EYP-1901 portfolio is among the most clinically advanced in the TKI space and, as Duker put it, “the most de-risked TKI program to date.”

Additional resources

Duker encouraged clinicians to visit EyePointPharma.com for updates or to explore educational resources on eyetube.net (enter “DURAVYU” in the search).

Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, FASRS, is professor and the Alice R. McPherson Retina Research Foundation Chair in Ophthalmology, and fellowship program director, vitreoretinal diseases and surgery with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Weng is a consultant for EyePoint Pharmaceuticals and Ocular Therapeutix.

Jay S. Duker, MD, is adjunct professor at the Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, and president and chief executive officer of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals.