Oculis Signs Asset Purchase Agreement with Accure Therapeutics for Lead Candidate, Privosegtor, Fortifying Oculis’ Position as an Emerging Leading Neuro-Ophthalmology Company
Rhea-AI Summary
Oculis (Nasdaq: OCS) signed an asset purchase agreement with Accure Therapeutics to acquire all worldwide development and commercial rights to Privosegtor (ACT-01), plus a separate transaction for ACT-02, an early-stage preclinical neurology candidate. The deal will terminate Oculis’ existing license with Accure, eliminating related milestone and royalty obligations for successful indications.
Total consideration includes a $3.8 million (CHF 3.1 million) cash payment at the first closing and up to 2,050,000 Oculis ordinary shares, split between locked-up upfront shares and milestone-based earnout shares. Oculis expects to assume low single-digit royalty obligations to academic licensors. Closing of ACT-01 is expected by February 28, 2027 and ACT-02 by March 31, 2027, subject to conditions. Privosegtor is in the PIONEER registrational program for optic neuropathies and holds FDA Breakthrough Therapy, EMA PRIME, and Orphan Drug designations in the U.S. and EU for optic neuritis.
Positive
- Acquisition of full global rights to Privosegtor (ACT-01) and ACT-02
- Elimination of legacy Accure milestone and royalty obligations per successful indication
- Total deal consideration limited to $3.8 million cash plus up to 2,050,000 shares
- Oculis expects only low single-digit royalties to academic licensors going forward
- Privosegtor supported by positive Phase 2 ACUITY data in optic neuritis
- Privosegtor holds FDA Breakthrough, EMA PRIME and Orphan Drug designations
Negative
- Potential dilution from issuing up to 2,050,000 new Oculis ordinary shares
- Ongoing low single-digit royalty obligations to academic institutions remain for each asset
- Closings for ACT-01 and ACT-02 are subject to conditions and scheduled out to early 2027
News Explained
The agreement is signed but not yet closed: ACT-01 is expected to close by
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 03 | FDA feedback | Positive | +5.1% | Positive FDA pre-IND feedback supported Privosegtor’s acute MS relapse development strategy. |
| Jul 08 | Insider transaction | Neutral | +0.0% | Director RSU vesting and settlement was reported without a stated operating catalyst. |
| Jul 02 | Conference participation | Neutral | +4.4% | Planned ophthalmology conference participation featured Privosegtor and Licaminlimab programs. |
| Jun 15 | Insider purchase | Positive | -1.4% | Executive Committee member purchased ordinary shares on June 10. |
| Jun 11 | Clinical presentation | Neutral | +0.3% | CEO presentation covered Privosegtor’s development through Phase 2 and PIONEER trials. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Positive Privosegtor and regulatory updates aligned with gains, while conference and insider-related events produced mixed outcomes.
Key Terms
asset purchase agreement financial
pre-ind regulatory
registrational trial regulatory
breakthrough therapy designation regulatory
orphan drug designation regulatory
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
ZUG, Switzerland and BARCELONA, Spain, August 10, 2026 Oculis Holding AG (Nasdaq: OCS / XICE: OCS) (“Oculis” or the “Company”), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on breakthrough innovations to address significant unmet medical needs in neuro-ophthalmology and ophthalmology, and Accure Therapeutics, S.L. (“Accure”), a private translational neuroscience R&D company, today announced that Oculis and Accure have entered into an asset purchase agreement whereby, upon closing, Oculis will acquire all of Accure’s worldwide development and commercial rights to Privosegtor. This acquisition will result in the termination of Oculis’ existing license agreement with Accure, including associated milestone payments and royalties for each successful indication. This strategic transaction would enable Oculis to better harness Privosegtor’s potential value going forward, without the encumbrance of the legacy license agreement with Accure, while retaining greater economic upside for the asset's future success as the Company continues to drive Privosegtor’s development and pursue potential expansion opportunities.
Under the terms of the agreement, upon the first closing, Oculis will acquire Accure’s rights to Privosegtor (ACT-01) and, in a separate closing, ACT-02, an early-stage preclinical neurology drug candidate. Both closings are subject to separate conditions precedent, and the ACT-02 transaction closing is dependent upon the closing of the ACT-01 transaction. Total consideration for both transactions consists of an upfront payment of
Riad Sherif, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Oculis, said: “Acquiring Accure’s rights to Privosegtor is an important strategic milestone for Oculis. 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. This transaction comes at an opportune time, as Privosegtor is advancing rapidly through key regulatory milestones, including the ongoing PIONEER-1 registrational trial for optic neuritis and an expected IND submission for acute MS relapse later this year. We remain confident in Privosegtor’s potential to address significant unmet needs across optic neuropathies and neuro-axonal diseases while delivering long-term value to shareholders.”
Philippe Monteyne, M.D., Chair of the Board of Accure, and Laurent Nguyen, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Accure, said: “This transaction reflects the strength of the innovation of our partner scientists, employees and collaborators over many years. Pursuant to a first successful partnership with Oculis on ACT-01, our Board believes that transferring our full rights to Privosegtor (ACT-01) and ACT-02 to Oculis provides compelling value to our shareholders while also positioning these assets for future success. Our priority has always been to ensure that these promising assets have the best opportunity to reach patients, and we believe this transaction furthers that goal. We are pleased to have reached an agreement that recognizes the value of these assets and supports their continued development, and we look forward to seeing these programs progress under their stewardship.”
Privosegtor, a novel peptoid small molecule with the ability to cross the blood-brain and retinal barriers, has the potential to become the first neuroprotective therapy for optic neuritis (ON), with broad potential applicability in other neuro-ophthalmic and neuro-axonal diseases. Following the successful Phase 2 ACUITY trial, Oculis launched the PIONEER program which includes three pivotal trials to support registrational plans for Privosegtor in optic neuropathies. The first registrational trial in the program, PIONEER-1, is evaluating Privosegtor in patients following an acute onset of ON in a broad population comprising patients with and without MS. PIONEER-1 clinical site activation is advancing as planned. Oculis also recently announced positive FDA pre-IND feedback supporting a regulatory pathway for Privosegtor in acute MS relapses, ahead of a planned IND submission in the fourth quarter of 2026.
-ENDS-
About Privosegtor
Privosegtor, a novel peptoid small-molecule candidate that crosses the blood-brain and retinal barriers, has the potential to become the first neuroprotective therapy for optic neuritis (ON) and other neuro-ophthalmic and neuro-axonal diseases. Positive results from the ACUITY Phase 2 trial showed Privosegtor’s neuroprotective potential, as evidenced by improvements in visual function, corroborated by anatomical preservation of the retina, including GCIPL and RNFL layers, and reduced neurofilament levels in the blood after an acute episode of optic neuritis. Consistent results were observed in animal models of glaucoma, optic neuritis, and multiple sclerosis (MS), where Privosegtor preserved retinal ganglion cells and was associated with improvements in mobility (clinical function disability) in the MS model.
Privosegtor has received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Priority Medicines (PRIME) designation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as well as Orphan Drug designation from both the FDA and the EMA for ON. Privosegtor is currently being evaluated in Oculis’ PIONEER (Privosegtor Investigation in Optic Neuropathies Efficacy Evaluation Research) program, which includes two registrational trials in ON and one registrational trial in non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Building on the ACUITY Phase 2 dataset in optic neuritis and constructive FDA pre-IND feedback, Oculis is also planning an IND submission for Privosegtor for the treatment of acute MS relapses.
Privosegtor is an investigational drug and has not received regulatory approval for commercial use in any country.
About Oculis
Oculis is a global biopharmaceutical company (Nasdaq: OCS; XICE: OCS) focused on breakthrough innovations to address significant unmet medical needs in neuro-ophthalmology and ophthalmology. Oculis’ highly differentiated late-stage clinical pipeline focuses on two core product candidates. Privosegtor is a breakthrough neuroprotective candidate in the PIONEER program, which consists of studies intended to support registration plans for treatment of optic neuropathies, including optic neuritis (ON) and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Privosegtor also has potential to be developed for additional indications in other neuro-ophthalmic and neuro-axonal diseases. Licaminlimab is a novel, topical anti-TNFα in a registrational trial, and is being developed with a genotype-based approach for treating patients with dry eye disease (DED). Headquartered in Switzerland with operations in the U.S., Iceland and Switzerland, Oculis is led by an experienced management team with a successful track record and supported by leading international healthcare investors.
For more information, please visit: www.oculis.com
Oculis Contact
Ms. Sylvia Cheung, CFO
sylvia.cheung@oculis.com
Oculis Investor Relations
LifeSci Advisors
Corey Davis, Ph.D.
cdavis@lifesciadvisors.com
Oculis Media Relations
ICR Healthcare
Amber Fennell / David Daley / Sean Leous
oculis@icrhealthcare.com
About Accure Therapeutics
Accure Therapeutics is a private translational neuroscience R&D company. Based in Barcelona (Spain), it was launched in 2020 with a Series A funding led by Alta Life Sciences Spain I (managed by ALTAMAR PRIVATE EQUITY SGIIC, S.A.U. and advised by Asabys partners) together with the Centre for Technological and Industrial Development (CDTI). It has a unique portfolio of three first-in-class new chemical entities programs, pursuing innovative targets and potential game changers in the treatment of serious diseases of the central nervous system: ACT-01 (initially sourced from IDIBAPS-Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain, and the Spanish National Council CSIC and then licensed to Oculis – NASDAQ: OCS) at positive phase II clinical trial completed stage in acute optic neuritis, ACT-02 (initially sourced from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine IRB, Barcelona, Spain, and the Universitat de Barcelona UB) at IND-enabling stage in Parkinson’s disease and ACT-03 at CCS-stage in epilepsy. With an experienced business and scientific team, Accure Therapeutics is one of the few companies that operate in an agnostic fashion on initial science to deliver cutting-edge drugs in CNS.
Accure Contact
Ms. Silvia Lopez, CFO
slopez@accure.health
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements and information. For example, statements regarding the development and potential benefits of the Company’s product candidates, including the initiation, timing, progress and results of current and future clinical trials, Oculis’ research and development programs, regulatory and business strategy; expected milestones and ability to deliver value-driving milestones; statements about market opportunity; statements about the potential benefits of the transactions described herein, including the potential to drive long-term value creation and other economic benefits of the transactions; the likelihood, timing and outcome of completion of the transactions, including Oculis’ expectation to assume existing license agreements with academic institutions for the acquired assets and the satisfaction or waiver of all relevant conditions precedent, are forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Oculis and its management, are inherently uncertain and are inherently subject to risks, variability, and contingencies, many of which are beyond Oculis’ control. The transactions discussed herein are each subject to conditions precedent which may not be completed or waived in a timely manner or at all, which could result in failure to close one or more of the transactions. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by an investor as, a guarantee, assurance, prediction or definitive statement of a fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those that we expected and/or those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of Oculis, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of Oculis’ annual report on Form 20-F and any other documents filed with the SEC. Copies of these documents are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. Oculis undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.
