Key Takeaways

  • Baseline phase 2 eDREAM data suggest patient-tailored microperimetry can provide reproducible, localized measurements of retinal function in geographic atrophy
  • Combining individualized microperimetry with OCT allowed investigators to examine structure-function relationships and identify regions where anatomical findings and retinal sensitivity did not correspond
  • The findings presented at EURETINA are methodological baseline analyses and do not yet demonstrate a treatment effect for GAL-101

Baseline data from Galimedix Therapeutics’ ongoing phase 2 eDREAM study suggest that patient-tailored microperimetry may provide a sensitive and reproducible method for assessing retinal function in patients with geographic atrophy (GA).

The findings are being presented at the 26th EURETINA Congress, held October 1-4, 2026, in Vienna, Austria. The eDREAM study is evaluating GAL-101 eye drops in patients with non-foveal GA secondary to age-related macular degeneration.

Importantly, the data presented at EURETINA are baseline and methodological findings and do not establish a treatment effect for GAL-101. Instead, they examine the performance of several functional assessments incorporated into the trial, with particular emphasis on an individualized microperimetry approach.

“Geographic atrophy is a complex neurodegenerative disease of the retina, and advancing new therapies requires both innovative treatment approaches and sensitive, clinically meaningful tools to measure their impact,” Yaniv Barkana, MD, chief medical officer of Galimedix, said in the company’s announcement.

Dr. Barkana said the company incorporated patient-tailored microperimetry into eDREAM to provide a more localized assessment of retinal function. Galimedix said it believes the trial represents the first reported prospective use of this individualized methodology in geographic atrophy.

Microperimetry measures retinal sensitivity at defined locations across the macula. In eDREAM, investigators create an individualized lesion-specific testing grid after screening, using retinal imaging to position test points around each patient’s area of atrophy. The customized grid can subsequently be aligned with retinal imaging, allowing investigators to compare local functional sensitivity with structural abnormalities at corresponding retinal locations.

An earlier description of the eDREAM design reported that customized grids contain 60 points positioned around the geographic atrophy lesion and are generated using optical coherence tomography and fundus autofluorescence imaging. The same patient-specific grid is then used throughout the study.

Galimedix reported that analysis of 3 independent microperimetry tests conducted over 2 visits demonstrated good short-term repeatability. The company said the procedure was also manageable for patients and clinical sites, supporting further evaluation of the approach as a functional endpoint in GA trials.

Investigators also assessed the repeatability of best-corrected visual acuity, low-luminance visual acuity, and microperimetric sensitivity measured at 5 central foveal points. According to Galimedix, none of the assessments showed systematic bias between repeated baseline tests. The company described the measures as complementary, with differences in their precision and reliability.

The analysis also found that defining baseline using the mean of 2 measurements substantially reduced measurement error. Galimedix said the observation supports the use of duplicate baseline testing in clinical studies employing these functional endpoints.

Additional analyses examined relationships between localized microperimetry results and structural findings on OCT.

The company reported that photoreceptor disruption frequently co-localized with abnormalities of the underlying retinal pigment epithelium and that these areas were associated with focal scotomas. Measurements involving other retinal structures, including the outer nuclear layer, also provided information about localized function in structurally compromised retinal regions.

Investigators additionally identified loci where structural appearance and measured retinal sensitivity did not correspond. Galimedix said these areas of structure-function discordance illustrate the heterogeneity of the peri-atrophic retina and could support the use of continuous OCT measurements or severity grading rather than simple binary classifications of retinal abnormalities.

GAL-101 is Galimedix’s lead clinical candidate and is being developed as a topical therapy targeting toxic amyloid-beta species in the retina. The phase 2 eDREAM trial, NCT06659549, is evaluating the ophthalmic formulation in GA.