Vasogen has announced preclinical findings from its VP025 drug development program demonstrated a significant reduction of several pro-inflammatory cytokines in a preclinical model of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes that eventually results in the loss of vision.

In a preclinical model designed to develop diabetes, VP025 was shown to have a significant effect on reducing the expression, in the retina, of several pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1, IL-6, and MCP-1, which are associated with the initiation stages of diabetic retinopathy. Concurrently, the intramuscular administration of VP025 resulted in the increased expression of both IL-10 and TGF-beta, two potent anti-inflammatory cytokines.