BioAge Plans Mid-2026 DME Trial for Oral NLRP3 Inhibitor BGE-102 with Mid-2027 Readout
BioAge Labs launches a Phase 1b/2a trial of oral NLRP3 inhibitor BGE-102 in diabetic macular edema patients in mid-2026, with DME results due mid-2027 alongside a Phase 2a cardiovascular risk readout in 2H26. In Phase 1 trials, BGE-102 showed tolerability and reduced hsCRP, IL-6 and IL-1β, signalling potent anti-inflammatory effects.
1. BioAge Proposes $75 Million Public Offering
BioAge Labs, Inc. today announced an underwritten public offering in which it intends to offer and sell up to $75.0 million of its common stock, with a 30-day option for underwriters to purchase an additional $11.25 million of shares. The offering is being managed jointly by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Piper Sandler and Citigroup. Net proceeds, together with existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, will be used to advance research, clinical and process development and manufacturing of its lead candidate BGE-102, to support NLRP3 and APJ programs, for working capital, capital expenditures, debt reduction and general corporate purposes. The shares are being offered pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-290688) effective November 25, 2025, and a preliminary prospectus supplement will be filed with the SEC.
2. Expansion of BGE-102 Program into Diabetic Macular Edema
BioAge has expanded the development of its oral NLRP3 inhibitor BGE-102 into ophthalmology, planning a Phase 1b/2a proof-of-concept trial in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) to start in mid-2026. In preclinical DME models, oral dosing achieved up to 90% preservation of microvascular integrity and near-complete protection from retinal vascular leakage. In its ongoing Phase 1 SAD/MAD trial, BGE-102 demonstrated robust reductions in inflammatory biomarkers—hsCRP, IL-6 and IL-1β—with favorable tolerability. The randomized DME study will assess percent change in intraocular IL-6 as the primary endpoint, alongside exploratory measures such as best-corrected visual acuity and central subfield thickness, with data anticipated in mid-2027. This ocular program will run in parallel with a Phase 2a cardiovascular risk trial, read out in the second half of 2026.