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A Clinical Trial of MK-8748 Compared to Aflibercept in Participants With Diabetic Macular Edema (MK-8748-005)

A Randomized, Double-Masked, Multicenter, 3-Arm, Pivotal Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Intravitreal (IVT) MK-8748 Compared With Aflibercept (2 mg) in Participants With Diabetic Macular Edema (DME)

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07705607
Enrollment
1104
Registered
2026-07-15
Start date
2026-09-30
Completion date
2029-11-30
Last updated
2026-07-15

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Edema

Keywords

Diabetic Macular Edema (DME)

Brief summary

Researchers are looking for new ways to treat diabetic macular edema (DME). In this trial, researchers want to learn if a trial medicine called MK-8748 can treat DME. An available standard (usual) treatment for DME is aflibercept. However, standard treatments such as aflibercept may not work for every person. The main goal of this trial is to learn if MK-8748 works as well as aflibercept to treat DME.

Interventions

Administered by intravitreal injection (IVT)

DRUGAflibercept

Administered by intravitreal injection (IVT)

Sponsors

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

The main inclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following: * Has Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus and a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of ≤12% * Has a decrease in vision in the study eye determined by the Investigator to be primarily the result of diabetic macular edema (DME) * For participants who are treatment-naïve for DME, the diagnosis must have been made within 9 months of screening. For all treatment-experienced participants, the first treatment should have been no longer than 3 years prior to the Screening visit

Exclusion criteria

The main

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Mean Change in Best-Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) (Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study [ETDRS] Letters) From Baseline to Year 1Baseline and 1 YearParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. Mean change in ETDRS letters from baseline to Year 1 will be assessed.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Mean Change in Central Subfield Thickness (CST) from Baseline to Week 52Baseline and Week 52Central subfield thickness (CST) in the study eye will be measured in microns using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The mean change in CST from baseline to Year 1 will be presented.
Mean Change in CST from Baseline Over TimeUp to approximately 2 yearsCentral subfield thickness (CST) in the study eye will be measured in microns using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The mean change in CST from baseline over time will be presented.
Time to Absence of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) at Week 52Up to approximately Week 52The absence of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) is defined as a Central Subfield Thickness (CST) of \<300 μm measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The time to absence of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) in the study eye up to Week 52 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with Absence of Intraretinal Fluid Over TimeUp to approximately 2 yearsParticipants' intraretinal fluid in the study eye will be measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The proportion of participants with absence of intraretinal fluid over time will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with Absence of Subretinal Fluid Over TimeUp to approximately 2 yearsParticipants' subretinal fluid in the study eye will be measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The proportion of participants with absence of subretinal fluid over time will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with Absence of Intraretinal Fluid and Subretinal Fluid Over TimeUp to approximately 2 yearsParticipants' subretinal fluid and intraretinal fluid in the study eye will be measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The proportion of participants with absence of intraretinal and subretinal fluid over time will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (DRSS) Score Improvement of ≥2 Steps from Baseline to Year 1Baseline and 1 YearThe Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (DRSS) classifies diabetic retinopathy (DR) into 12 severity steps ranging from absence of retinopathy to advanced proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). DRSS grades= 10 (DR absent) - 85 (very advanced PDR), DRSS 90 = ungradable. All DRSS values are converted into a 12-level scale, from 1 (DR absent) to 12 (very advanced PDR), allowing derivation of ≥2-step change from baseline for post-baseline assessment. A lower score represents less advanced diabetic retinopathy. The proportion of participants with ≥2 step improvement in DRSS score from baseline to year 1 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with DRSS Score Improvement of ≥3 Steps from Baseline to Year 1Baseline and 1 YearThe Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (DRSS) classifies diabetic retinopathy (DR) into 12 severity steps ranging from absence of retinopathy to advanced proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). DRSS grades= 10 (DR absent) - 85 (very advanced PDR), DRSS 90 = ungradable. All DRSS values are converted into a 12-level scale, from 1 (DR absent) to 12 (very advanced PDR), allowing derivation of ≥2-step change from baseline for post-baseline assessment. A lower score represents less advanced diabetic retinopathy. The proportion of participants with ≥3 step improvement in DRSS score from baseline to year 1 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with Resolution of Macular Leakage on Fluorescein Angiography (FA) at Week 24Up to approximately Week 24Fluorescein Angiography (FA) images will be used to determine the resolution of macular leakage in the study eye, defined as 0 to 1 mm\^2. The proportion of participants with resolution of macular leakage at Week 24 will be presented.
Mean change in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Central Subfield Thickness (CST) from Baseline to Week 104Baseline and Week 104Central subfield thickness (CST) in the study eye will be measured in microns using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The mean change in OCT CST from baseline to Week 104 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with DRSS Score Improvement of ≥2 Steps from Baseline to Week 104Baseline and Week 104The Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (DRSS) classifies diabetic retinopathy (DR) into 12 severity steps ranging from absence of retinopathy to advanced proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). DRSS grades= 10 (DR absent) - 85 (very advanced PDR), DRSS 90 = ungradable. All DRSS values are converted into a 12-level scale, from 1 (DR absent) to 12 (very advanced PDR), allowing derivation of ≥2-step change from baseline for post-baseline assessment. A lower score represents less advanced diabetic retinopathy. The proportion of participants with ≥2 step improvement in DRSS score from baseline to week 104 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with DRSS Score Improvement of ≥3 Steps from Baseline to Week 104Baseline and Week 104The Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (DRSS) classifies diabetic retinopathy (DR) into 12 severity steps ranging from absence of retinopathy to advanced proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). DRSS grades= 10 (DR absent) - 85 (very advanced PDR), DRSS 90 = ungradable. All DRSS values are converted into a 12-level scale, from 1 (DR absent) to 12 (very advanced PDR), allowing derivation of ≥2-step change from baseline for post-baseline assessment. A lower score represents less advanced diabetic retinopathy. The proportion of participants with ≥3 step improvement in DRSS score from baseline to week 104 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants Without Retinal Fluid at the Foveal Center on OCT at Week 104Up to approximately Week 104Optical coherence tomography (OCT) will be used to measure retinal fluid at the foveal center of the study eye. The proportion of participants without retinal fluid at the foveal center on OCT at Week 104 will be presented.
Mean change in Foveal Avascular Zone (FAZ) Area on Fluorescein Angiography (FA) from Baseline to Year 1Baseline and 1 YearFluorescein Angiography (FA) images will be used to measure the Foveal Avascular Zone (FAZ) area of the study eye. The mean change in FAZ area on FA from baseline to year 1 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with Reduction in FAZ Area on FA from Baseline to Year 1Baseline and 1 YearFluorescein Angiography (FA) images will be used to measure the Foveal Avascular Zone (FAZ) area of the study eye. The proportion of participants with reduction of FAZ area on FA from baseline to year 1 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants Without Retinal Fluid at the Foveal Center at Week 52Up to approximately Week 52Participants' retinal fluid in the study eye will be measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT). The proportion of participants without retinal fluid at the foveal center at week 52 will be presented.
Mean Number of Intravitreal (IVT) Injections from Week 56 to Week 104Up to approximately 48 WeeksThe mean number of intravitreal (IVT) Injections from week 56 to week 104 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants on a Personalized Treatment Interval (PTI) of every 8 weeks (Q8W) at Week 104Up to approximately Week 104The proportion of participants on a personalized treatment interval (PTI) of every 8 weeks (Q8W) at Week 104 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants on a Personalized Treatment Interval (PTI) of every 12 weeks (Q12W) at Week 104Up to approximately Week 104The proportion of participants on a personalized treatment interval (PTI) of every 12 weeks (Q12W) at Week 104 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants on a Personalized Treatment Interval (PTI) of every 16 weeks (Q16W) at Week 104Up to approximately Week 104The proportion of participants on a personalized treatment interval (PTI) of every 16 weeks (Q16W) at Week 104 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants who Gain ≥5 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 1Baseline and 1 YearParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who gain ≥5 ETDRS letters from baseline to year 1 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants who Gain ≥10 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 1Baseline and 1 YearParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who gain ≥10 ETDRS letters from baseline to year 1 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants who Gain ≥15 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 1Baseline and 1 YearParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who gain ≥15 ETDRS letters from baseline to year 1 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants who Lose ≥5 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 1Baseline and 1 YearParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who lose ≥5 ETDRS letters from baseline to year 1 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants who Lose ≥10 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 1Baseline and 1 YearParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who lose ≥10 ETDRS letters from baseline to year 1 will be presented.
Proportion of participants who Lose ≥15 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 1Baseline and 1 YearParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who lose ≥15 ETDRS letters from baseline to year 1 will be presented.
Time to gain ≥5 ETDRS Letters Over TimeUp to approximately 2 yearsParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The time to gain ≥5 ETDRS letters over time will be presented.
Time to gain ≥10 ETDRS Letters at Week 52Up to approximately Week 52Participants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The time to gain ≥10 ETDRS letters up to Week 52 will be presented.
Time to gain ≥15 ETDRS letters at Week 52Up to approximately Week 52Participants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The time to gain ≥15 ETDRS letters up to Week 52 will be presented.
Mean Change in BCVA (ETDRS letters) from Baseline Over TimeBaseline and 2 YearsParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The mean change in BCVA (ETDRS) letters from baseline over time will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with BCVA Snellen Equivalent of 20/20 or Better at Year 1Up to approximately 1 yearParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The number of letters read correctly, Snellen fraction are converted to a decimal scale. There are 11 lines on a standard Snellen chart ranging from 0.1 (20/200) at worst to 2.0 (20/10) at best. 20/20 on the decimal scale is equal to 1.0. The higher the number of letters read correctly (higher number on the decimal scale), the better the vision (or visual acuity). The Snellen equivalent of 20/20 or better is defined as ≥84 letters correctly read in the ETDRS chart. The proportion of participants with BCVA Snellen equivalent of 20/20 or better at year 1 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with BCVA Snellen equivalent of 20/200 or Worse at Year 1Up to approximately 1 yearParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The number of letters read correctly, Snellen fraction are converted to a decimal scale. There are 11 lines on a standard Snellen chart ranging from 0.1 (20/200) at worst to 2.0 (20/10) at best. 20/20 on the decimal scale is equal to 1.0. The higher the number of letters read correctly (higher number on the decimal scale), the better the vision (or visual acuity). The Snellen equivalent of 20/200 or worse is defined as ≤38 letters correctly read in the ETDRS chart. The proportion of participants with BCVA Snellen equivalent of 20/200 or Worse at year 1 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with BCVA Snellen Equivalent of 20/40 or Better at Year 1Up to approximately 1 yearParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The number of letters read correctly, Snellen fraction are converted to a decimal scale. There are 11 lines on a standard Snellen chart ranging from 0.1 (20/200) at worst to 2.0 (20/10) at best. 20/20 on the decimal scale is equal to 1.0. The higher the number of letters read correctly (higher number on the decimal scale), the better the vision (or visual acuity). The Snellen equivalent of 20/40 or better is defined as ≥69 letters correctly read in the ETDRS chart. The proportion of participants with BCVA Snellen equivalent of 20/40 or better at year 1 will be presented.
Mean Change in BCVA from Baseline to Year 2Baseline and Year 2Participants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. Mean change in ETDRS letters from baseline to year 2 will be assessed.
Proportion of Participants with BCVA Snellen Equivalent of 20/40 or Better at Year 2Up to approximately 2 yearsParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The number of letters read correctly, Snellen fraction are converted to a decimal scale. There are 11 lines on a standard Snellen chart ranging from 0.1 (20/200) at worst to 2.0 (20/10) at best. 20/20 on the decimal scale is equal to 1.0. The higher the number of letters read correctly (higher number on the decimal scale), the better the vision (or visual acuity). The Snellen equivalent of 20/40 or better is defined as ≥69 letters correctly read in the ETDRS chart. The proportion of participants with BCVA Snellen equivalent of 20/40 or better at year 2 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants with BCVA Snellen Equivalent of 20/200 or Worse at Year 2Up to approximately 2 yearsParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The number of letters read correctly, Snellen fraction are converted to a decimal scale. There are 11 lines on a standard Snellen chart ranging from 0.1 (20/200) at worst to 2.0 (20/10) at best. 20/20 on the decimal scale is equal to 1.0. The higher the number of letters read correctly (higher number on the decimal scale), the better the vision (or visual acuity). The Snellen equivalent of 20/200 or worse is defined as ≤38 letters correctly read in the ETDRS chart. The proportion of participants with BCVA Snellen equivalent of 20/200 or Worse at year 2 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants who Gain ≥5 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 2Baseline and 2 YearsParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who gain ≥5 ETDRS Letters from baseline to year 2 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants who Gain ≥10 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 2Baseline and 2 YearsParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who gain ≥10 ETDRS Letters from baseline to year 2 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants who Gain ≥15 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 2Baseline and 2 YearsParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who gain ≥15 ETDRS letters from baseline to year 2 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants who Lose ≥5 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 2Baseline to 2 YearsParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who lose ≥5 ETDRS Letters baseline to year 2 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants who Lose ≥10 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 2Baseline to 2 YearsParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who lose ≥10 ETDRS letters from baseline to year 2 will be presented.
Proportion of Participants who Lose ≥15 ETDRS Letters from Baseline to Year 2Baseline and 2 yearsParticipants' BCVA in the study eye will be measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) methodology. The ETDRS letter score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating better visual acuity. The proportion of participants who lose ≥15 ETDRS Letters from baseline to year 2 will be presented.
Change from Baseline in National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ-25) Version Composite Score at Week 48Baseline and Week 48The NEI-VFQ-25 is a validated and reliable 25-item survey that measures the influence of visual disability and visual symptoms on generic health domains (emotional well-being, social functioning and task-oriented domains). The composite score ranges from 0-100 with the higher score indicating better visual function. The change from baseline in NEI-VFQ-25 version composite score at week 48 will be presented.
Change from Baseline in National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ-25) Version Composite Score at Week 104Baseline and Week 104The NEI-VFQ-25 is a validated and reliable 25-item survey that measures the influence of visual disability and visual symptoms on generic health domains (emotional well-being, social functioning and task-oriented domains). The composite score ranges from 0-100 with the higher score indicating better visual function. The change from baseline in NEI-VFQ-25 version composite score at week 104 will be presented.
Number of Participants who Experience a Systemic Adverse Events (AEs)Up to approximately 2 yearsAn AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention. The number of participants who experience a systemic AE will be presented.
Number of Participants who Experience an Ocular Adverse Events (AEs)Up to approximately 2 yearsAn ocular adverse event (OAE) is defined as any untoward medical occurrence involving the eye or ocular adnexa (including eyelids, conjunctiva, lacrimal apparatus, extraocular muscles, and orbit) that: Occurs or worsens after the first administration of the investigational product (IP) or a study-related ocular procedure, and does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the IP or procedure. OAEs include, but are not limited to, changes in: Symptoms (e.g., ocular pain, photophobia, floaters, blurred vision), Visual function (e.g., best-corrected visual acuity \[BCVA\], visual field). Intraocular pressure (IOP), Anterior segment findings (e.g., conjunctival hyperemia, keratitis, anterior chamber inflammation), Posterior segment findings (e.g., vitreous inflammation, retinal hemorrhages, retinal tears or detachment, macular edema), or ocular adnexa (e.g., eyelid edema, ptosis). The number of participants who experience an ocular AE will be presented.
Number of Participants who Discontinue Study Treatment Due to an AEUp to approximately 2 yearsAn AE is any untoward medical occurrence in a clinical study participant, temporally associated with the use of study intervention, whether or not considered related to the study intervention. The number of participants who discontinue study treatment due to an AE will be reported.
Number of Participants with Antidrug Antibodies (ADA) to MK-8748At designated time points (up to approximately 104 weeks)Blood samples collected at designated timepoints will be used to determine the ADA response to MK-8748. The number of participants with ADA to MK-8748 will be presented.
Maximum Plasma Concentration (Cmax) of MK-8748At designated time points (up to approximately 104 weeks)Cmax is defined as the peak concentration over the dosing interval. Blood samples collected pre-dose and at multiple timepoints post-dose will be used to determine Cmax of MK-8748.
Plasma Trough Concentration (Ctrough) of MK-8748At designated time points (up to approximately 104 weeks)Ctrough is defined as the trough concentration. Blood samples collected pre-dose and at multiple timepoints post-dose will be used to determine Ctrough of MK-8748.

Contacts

STUDY_DIRECTORMedical Director

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 16, 2026