Oculis Holding (OCS) inks $3.8M cash-plus-shares deal for Privosegtor rights
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Oculis Holding AG agreed to acquire from Accure Therapeutics all development and commercial rights to Privosegtor (ACT-01) and a separate preclinical neurology candidate ACT-02 through an asset purchase agreement with staggered closings.
Total consideration includes an upfront $3.8 million (CHF 3.1 million) cash payment at the first closing and up to 2,050,000 Oculis ordinary shares. The shares comprise upfront stock subject to lockup releases over up to two years and earnout shares vesting upon specified development and regulatory milestones.
Oculis expects to assume existing academic licenses with low single-digit percentage royalties and academic research rights. Completion of the Privosegtor deal will terminate the prior Oculis‑Accure license, eliminating associated milestone and royalty obligations. Closings are expected by February 28, 2027 for Privosegtor and March 31, 2027 for ACT‑02, subject to conditions precedent.
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Filing Explained
Oculis has signed but not closed the deal; up to 2,050,000 shares could be issued to Accure, creating potential dilution for existing holders.
Oculis has signed, but not completed, the asset purchase agreement; if the transaction closes and shares are issued, Accure would receive up to 2,050,000 ordinary shares, creating potential dilution for existing holders.
The filing makes the sequencing explicit: ACT-02 can close only after Privosegtor (ACT-01) closes, and each closing has separate conditions.
Privosegtor remains an investigational drug and has not received regulatory approval for commercial use in any country.
The filing says the full agreement is not included and Oculis expects to file it no later than its 2026 Form 20-F, which is the identified source for the agreement's complete terms.
Key Figures
Key Terms
asset purchase agreement financial
lockup release financial
low single-digit percentage royalties financial
Breakthrough Therapy designation regulatory
Priority Medicines (PRIME) designation regulatory
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
FAQ
What transaction did Oculis (OCS) announce with Accure Therapeutics?
What is the total consideration Oculis (OCS) will pay for Privosegtor and ACT-02?
How does the Accure deal affect Oculis’ existing Privosegtor license obligations?
When are the expected closing dates for Oculis’ acquisitions of Privosegtor and ACT-02?
What ongoing obligations will Oculis (OCS) assume under academic licenses for these assets?
Is the Oculis–Accure transaction already approved by both companies?
How is Privosegtor currently being developed within Oculis’ pipeline?
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Month of August 2026
(Commission File No. 001-41636)
Oculis Holding AG
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
Bahnhofstrasse 20
CH-6300
Zug, Switzerland
(Address of registrant’s principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F ☒ |
Form 40-F ☐ |
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT ON FORM 6-K
On August 10, 2026, Oculis Holding AG (the “Registrant” or “Oculis”) announced that it entered into an asset purchase agreement (the “Agreement”) with Accure Therapeutics S.L. (“Accure”). A copy of the press release is furnished hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
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 $3.8 million (CHF 3.1 million) in cash, to be paid to Accure at the first closing, and up to 2,050,000 Oculis ordinary shares to be issued to Accure. The Oculis ordinary shares consist of both upfront shares subject to lockup release over a period of up to 2 years following deal completion and earnout shares subject to vesting upon achievement of development and regulatory milestones related to the assets. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of specified closing conditions, Oculis will acquire the applicable assets, related intellectual property licenses and agreements. Oculis expects to assume, for each asset, existing license agreements with academic institutions, which include obligations to pay low single-digit percentage royalties and to preserve the academic institutions’ rights to use the assets for academic and non-commercial purposes, as required under Spanish law. Upon completion of the Privosegtor acquisition, the existing license agreement between Oculis and Accure relating to Privosegtor will terminate, eliminating the milestone payments and royalty obligations thereunder. The Agreement also contains customary representations and warranties, covenants, indemnification provisions and other terms and conditions for a transaction of this nature.
The Agreement has been approved by Oculis’ board of directors, as well as the board of directors and shareholders of Accure. The closing for Privosegtor is expected to occur no later than February 28, 2027 and the closing for ACT-02 is expected to occur no later than March 31, 2027.
The foregoing summary of the Agreement is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Agreement, a copy of which the Registrant expects to file no later than with its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The information in this Report on Form 6-K, excluding Exhibit 99.1, is hereby incorporated by reference into the Registrant’s Registration Statements on Form S-8 (File Nos. 333-271938, 333-287806 and 333-298073) and Form F-3 (File Nos. 333-294011, 333-278409, 333-271063 and 333-291426).
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit |
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Description |
99.1 |
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Press Release dated August 10, 2026 |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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OCULIS HOLDING AG |
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Date: August 10, 2026 |
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By: |
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Sylvia Cheung Chief Financial Officer |
Oculis Signs Asset Purchase Agreement with Accure Therapeutics for Lead Candidate, Privosegtor, Fortifying Oculis’ Position as an Emerging Leading Neuro-Ophthalmology Company
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 $3.8 million (CHF 3.1 million) in cash, to be paid to Accure at the first closing, and up to 2,050,000 Oculis ordinary shares to be issued to Accure. The Oculis ordinary shares consist of both upfront shares subject to lockup release over a period of up to 2 years following deal completion and earnout shares subject to vesting upon achievement of development and regulatory milestones related to the assets. Oculis expects to assume, for each asset, existing license agreements with academic institutions, which include obligations to pay low single-digit percentage royalties and to preserve the academic institutions’ rights to use the assets for academic and non-commercial purposes, as required under Spanish law. The agreement has been approved by Oculis’ board of directors, as well as the board of directors and shareholders of Accure. The closing for Privosegtor (ACT-01) is expected to occur no later than February 28, 2027 and the closing for ACT-02 is expected to occur no later than March 31, 2027.
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:
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.