Aerpio Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s phase IIb data with AKB-9778 in moderate to severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) failed to provide betterment relative to the phase IIa experiment in diabetic macular edema (DME), but CEO Stephen Hoffman noted that the findings were "hot off the press" and the company needs to conduct an internal review, with more detail to come at a scientific meeting.