• Study demonstrates potential to predict the speed and direction of macular atrophy progression earlier than conventional imaging
• DARC showed a stronger association with future atrophy progression than established OCT biomarkers

Novai, a medtech company pioneering earlier detection and intervention for eye and brain diseases, today announced publication of a peer-reviewed study in Expert Review of Ophthalmology supporting its Detection of Apoptosing Retinal Cells (DARC) imaging technology as a promising biomarker for identifying patients at risk of central vision loss from macular atrophy (MA), an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration and a major cause of irreversible vision loss.

Novai’s DARC imaging technology combines a fluorescently labelled Annexin A5 probe with advanced image analysis and AI-powered algorithms to detect and quantify stressed and apoptotic retinal cells before structural loss becomes apparent.

The study, based on data from the Phase 2a DARC trial (ISRCTN10751859), found that baseline DARC measurements were more strongly associated with the future direction of macular atrophy growth than three established optical coherence tomography (OCT) biomarkers: ellipsoid zone loss, EZ-retinal pigment epithelium difference and hyperreflective foci density. DARC signals were also detected beyond the visible margins of existing atrophy, consistent with identification of stressed and apoptotic photoreceptors before structural damage becomes visible on OCT. Prospective validation is ongoing in the DAB trial (ISRCTN22122298).

Prof. Maria Francesca Cordeiro, Founder and CEO of Novai, said: “DARC could provide a window into active disease at an earlier stage, addressing a major unmet need in geographic atrophy. By identifying cellular activity before irreversible structural loss becomes established, it has the potential to identify patients at greatest risk of progression and central vision loss, when there may still be an opportunity to intervene. With a rapidly expanding pipeline of therapies for geographic atrophy, improved biomarkers of disease activity could help identify patients most likely to benefit, support earlier and more appropriate treatment, and monitor biological response. While prospective validation is ongoing, DARC could ultimately support more personalised treatment strategies aimed at preserving vision.”

Novai will attend EURETINA 2026 in Vienna and the AAO Annual Meeting 2026 in New Orleans to discuss DARC, clinical applications and potential partnerships.

Visit novai.co.uk for more information.

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