Key Takeaways
- Oculis has agreed to acquire Accure Therapeutics’ worldwide development and commercial rights to Privosegtor, terminating the companies’ existing license agreement
- The broader transaction, which also includes the preclinical candidate ACT-02, provides for $3.8 million in upfront cash and up to 2.05 million Oculis ordinary shares
- Privosegtor is advancing in the PIONEER-1 registrational trial for optic neuritis, while Oculis plans an IND submission in the fourth quarter of 2026 to pursue development in acute multiple sclerosis relapses
Oculis and Accure Therapeutics have entered into an asset purchase agreement under which Oculis will acquire Accure’s worldwide development and commercial rights to Privosegtor (ACT-01), a neuroprotective candidate currently in registrational development for optic neuritis.
The transaction will terminate Oculis’ existing license agreement with Accure, including associated milestone and royalty obligations for successful indications. Oculis said the acquisition is intended to give the company greater economic participation in Privosegtor’s potential future success while providing additional flexibility as it develops the asset and evaluates expansion into other indications.
Under the agreement, Oculis will acquire Accure’s rights to Privosegtor at the first closing. In a separate closing, Oculis is also expected to acquire ACT-02, an early-stage preclinical neurology drug candidate. The two closings are subject to separate conditions precedent, with the ACT-02 transaction contingent on completion of the ACT-01 acquisition. The Privosegtor closing is expected no later than February 28, 2027, while the ACT-02 closing is expected no later than March 31, 2027.
Total consideration for the transactions includes an upfront cash payment of $3.8 million (CHF 3.1 million), payable to Accure at the first closing, as well as up to 2.05 million Oculis ordinary shares. Oculis also expects to assume existing license agreements with academic institutions for each asset. Those agreements include low single-digit percentage royalty obligations and provisions preserving the institutions’ rights to use the assets for academic and noncommercial purposes, as required under Spanish law.
The agreement has been approved by the Oculis board of directors and by Accure’s board and shareholders.
“Acquiring Accure’s rights to Privosegtor is an important strategic milestone for Oculis,” Riad Sherif, MD, CEO of Oculis, said in a statement. “By terminating our legacy license agreement with Accure, we can secure global commercial rights to this unique, long-term asset at significantly reduced royalties as we build a leadership position in neuro-ophthalmology.”
Dr. Sherif pointed to the ongoing PIONEER-1 registrational trial in optic neuritis and the company’s planned investigational new drug application for acute multiple sclerosis relapse as key upcoming development milestones.
Privosegtor is a peptoid small molecule designed to cross the blood-brain and retinal barriers. Oculis is developing the candidate as a potential neuroprotective therapy for optic neuritis, with possible applications across other neuro-ophthalmic and neuro-axonal diseases.
Following results from the phase 2 ACUITY trial, Oculis initiated the PIONEER clinical development program, which comprises 3 pivotal trials intended to support registration of Privosegtor in optic neuropathies.
PIONEER-1, the first registrational trial in the program, is evaluating Privosegtor in patients following acute onset of optic neuritis. The study includes patients both with and without multiple sclerosis, and Oculis reported that clinical site activation is progressing as planned.
The company has also received positive pre-IND feedback from the FDA regarding a regulatory pathway for Privosegtor in acute multiple sclerosis relapses. Oculis plans to submit an IND for that indication in the fourth quarter of 2026.
