Roche  shared encouraging 16-week interim data from its ongoing Phase 3b/4 SALWEEN trial, revealing significant advancements in vision improvement and retinal health for patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), a prevalent form of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in Asian populations. The results, presented at the Asia-Pacific Vitreo-retina Society (APVRS) conference in Singapore, demonstrate the potential of Vabysmo® (faricimab) as a transformative therapy for this challenging condition.

Key findings include:

• Improved Vision: Patients treated with Vabysmo experienced an average gain of +7.8 letters on vision tests—equivalent to reading one and a half additional lines on an eye chart.
• Retinal Fluid Reduction: 80% of patients showed no fluid in their retina, indicating improved retinal health.
• Polypoidal Lesion Resolution: 51% of patients achieved complete disappearance of polypoidal lesions, a hallmark of PCV.

Professor Gemmy Cheung, Head of Retina Research at SERI and the Singapore National Eye Centre, emphasized the significance of the trial:
"PCV poses unique challenges in treatment due to its variability compared to typical nAMD. The SALWEEN trial is crucial in advancing tailored therapies for this condition, particularly in Asian populations where PCV prevalence is high."

The SALWEEN study is conducted across nine Asian markets, including China, Japan, and South Korea, and involves 135 patients aged 50 years and older. The trial adopts a personalized treatment approach, with Vabysmo doses adjusted based on individual patient needs.

Ahmed Elhusseiny, Area Head, Asia Pacific, Roche Pharmaceuticals, underscored the broader implications:
"As two-thirds of global vision loss affects the Asia-Pacific region, advancing treatments for conditions like PCV is imperative. These interim results highlight Vabysmo’s potential to significantly improve outcomes for patients and exemplify Roche’s commitment to eye health innovation in the region."

The SALWEEN trial builds on the success of Roche’s TENAYA and LUCERNE studies and aims to provide deeper insights into Vabysmo’s impact on PCV-specific characteristics, including polypoidal lesions and the Tie-2 pathway. Final results are expected in 2026.