Clinical development to PoC of a novel oral plasma kallikrein inhibitor for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME)

Diabetic eye disease is quietly destroying the eyesight of millions, and the only treatments involve needles into the eyeball or lasers—neither of which work for everyone. The problem is that damaged blood vessels in the retina leak fluid, swelling the tissue and blurring vision. Scientists at KalVista have identified a protein called plasma kallikrein as a key driver of that leakiness. This project aims to turn that discovery into a pill—an oral drug that blocks plasma kallikrein and stops the leakage before vision is lost. If the drug reaches proof of concept, it could replace or supplement painful injections, offering a simpler, more accessible treatment for diabetic macular edema. That would matter not just for patients, but for the healthcare systems that currently manage a growing population of people with diabetes through repeated, resource-intensive procedures. A daily tablet would shift the burden from clinics to homes, and from specialists to general practitioners. The research is applied drug development, not fundamental science—it builds directly on KalVista’s existing work on plasma kallikrein inhibitors and aims for a clinical milestone within the grant period.