Viridian eye disease drug benefits chronic patients in late-stage trial

Amgen

05/05/2026 12:01

By Siddhi Mahatole

May 5 (Reuters) - Viridian Therapeutics VRDN.O said on Tuesday its experimental thyroid eye disease drug met the main goal of a late-stage trial in chronic patients.

The drug, elegrobart, significantly reduced eye bulging in patients with long-standing thyroid eye disease when given as a subcutaneous injection every four weeks or every eight weeks, compared with placebo, the company said.

At 24 weeks, 50% of patients on the four-week dosing regimen and 54% of those on the eight-week regimen saw improvement in eye bulging, versus 15% of patients receiving placebo.

The study also showed improvements in double vision, a common and debilitating symptom of the disease. Sixty‑one percent of patients receiving the four-week regimen saw improvement in double vision, compared with 38% in the placebo group.

The results follow another late-stage data released in March from a separate study in patients with active thyroid eye disease, where elegrobart met its main goal but fell short of some investor expectations on efficacy, triggering a sharp sell-off in the stock.

Thyroid eye disease, or TED, is an autoimmune condition causing inflammation, swelling and fat expansion behind the eyes, often leading to bulging, pain, redness and double vision.

Active TED is marked by acute inflammation and pain lasting months to years, while chronic TED is the stable phase in which symptoms such as bulging eyes or double vision persist without active swelling.

"Elegrobart's unmatched simplicity and convenience could uniquely drive expansion of the large and underserved chronic TED market," CEO Steve Mahoney said in a statement.

If approved, elegrobart has the potential to offer a convenient, at‑home treatment in as few as three doses for both active and chronic patients, the company said.

Viridian plans to submit a U.S. marketing application for elegrobart in the first quarter of 2027.

The only approved treatment for TED is Amgen's AMGN.O  intravenous drug, Tepezza.

 (Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

 ((siddhi.mahatole@thomsonreuters.com;))