Can Oral Gildeuretinol Slow Advanced Macular Degeneration?

Although the trial missed its primary endpoint, exploratory analyses suggested slower lesion growth and better functional outcomes with gildeuretinol.

By
Andrea Surnit
July 20, 2026
3 min

MDSpire News

Overview

Oral gildeuretinol acetate did not significantly slow geographic atrophy progression compared to placebo in patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Background

Geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults. Effective treatments are needed to slow disease progression.

Data Highlights

No statistically significant difference in geographic atrophy lesion growth was observed between gildeuretinol and placebo groups.

Key Findings

The primary endpoint of reduced geographic atrophy lesion growth was not met.
Gildeuretinol showed a 13% reduction in lesion growth compared to placebo, which was not statistically significant.
In a sensitivity analysis, lesion growth reduction was 15% with gildeuretinol.
Patients on gildeuretinol experienced less decline in low-luminance visual acuity compared to placebo.
Quality of life, as measured by the VFQ-25, improved in the gildeuretinol group.
Safety profiles were similar between treatment groups, with no new safety signals identified.