Oculis and Accure Therapeutics Form Licensing Agreement for Glaucoma Drug Candidate

Oculis, a global ophthalmology company, announced on March 2, 2022 that it has formed a licensing agreement with Accure Therapeutics, a private translational neuroscience R&D company, granting Oculis exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize ACT-01, a drug candidate for glaucoma and other eye diseases.

ACT-01, which is being renamed OCS-05, is a therapy that protects and prevents damage to the optic nerve and retina. The therapy has the potential to be disease-modifying and aid in the treatment of various eye diseases, such as glaucoma, acute optic neuritis, and geographic atrophy. It works by activating the trophic factor pathways such as IGF-1 and BDNF, which can protect nerve axons.

The license agreement between the two companies will strengthen Oculis’ goal to become a leader in global ophthalmology and develop breakthrough innovations focused on retina, dry eye, and glaucoma.

“We are excited about this agreement as it combines Oculis’s ophthalmology expertise with Accure’s unique neuroprotective approach to help transform the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases in ophthalmology,” stated Riad Sherif, M.D., CEO of Oculis, in a press release. “At Oculis, our focus is on building a highly innovative and differentiated pipeline providing life changing treatments for ocular unmet medical needs, and OCS-05 is a perfect fit for that ambition. Glaucoma is a leading global cause of irreversible blindness, and despite IOP lowering treatments, a significant proportion of patients still go blind. With OCS-05, we have the potential to bring to market the first neuroprotective for glaucoma and other optic neuropathies.”

Source: Oculis