GUANGZHOU, China, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MingMed Biotechnology Co., Ltd, a biomedical firm focused on the discovery and development of novel therapeutics across multiple therapeutic areas, announced positive results from its Phase II clinical trial of QA102 in patients with intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Results of the study were presented in an oral presentation at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2026 annual meeting in Denver, Colorado.
Intermediate dry AMD is a chronic, progressive retinal disease marked by large drusen and pigmentary changes, representing a significant risk for conversion to advanced AMD. As part of the most common cause of irreversible blindness in older adults, its prevalence is rising, affecting nearly 7% of individuals of 65+ years old in the US.
Study QA102-CS201 is a phase 2, double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted in 150 subjects with intermediate atrophic AMD randomized 1:1:1 to oral QA102 200 or 400 mg, or placebo BID for up to 15 months. Following 12-month treatment, the mean change in drusen volume was reduced by 59.2% in QA102 400 mg group relative to the placebo group. Although the primary efficacy endpoint did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference between groups, the growth rate in drusen volume was reduced 118.2% (p=0.017) and the growth rate in square-root transformed GA area reduced by 42.7% in 400 mg group relative to placebo (p=0.026). In general, QA102 demonstrates the potential to slow down the progression of intermediate dry AMD with an acceptable safety profile. (clinicaltrials.gov NCT05536752)
"Intermediate AMD represents the most prevalent stage of the disease, yet remains an area of significant unmet medical need with a lack of therapies to slow or prevent progression," said Scott Whitcup, MD, an expert in ophthalmic drug development. "The phase II data for QA102 are very encouraging for millions of people affected by intermediate or advanced forms of dry age related macular degeneration," said Sunil Patel, MD, PhD, a principal investigator of the study.
"We are delighted to present the compelling Phase II data to the global ophthalmology community at ARVO," said Fred Ouyang, PhD, Chief Technology Officer of MingMed Biotechnology. "QA102 represents a first-in-class oral therapy for atrophic AMD and is the first drug candidate to demonstrate efficacy signals in intermediate dry AMD. We look forward to advancing QA102 into the next phase of clinical development."
About MingMed Biotech and Smilebiotek
Smilebiotek Zhuhai Limited is a subsidiary of MingMed Biotech, dedicated to the development of first-in-class ophthalmology products. The company's atrophic AMD pipeline includes two novel candidates: QA102, a new chemical entity (NCE), and QA108, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
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