Oculis (OCS) has agreed to acquire Accure Therapeutics’ worldwide development and commercial rights to Privosegtor, giving the company greater control over the drug candidate and its future economic potential.
Under the asset purchase agreement, Oculis’ existing licensing arrangement with Accure will be terminated upon completion of the transaction. This will eliminate the associated milestone and royalty payments tied to each successful indication.
The transaction also includes ACT-02, an early-stage preclinical neurology candidate. Oculis will acquire Accure’s rights to Privosegtor at an initial closing, while ACT-02 will be transferred through a separate closing that is conditional on completion of the Privosegtor transaction.
Oculis will pay Accure $3.8 million in cash at the first closing and issue up to 2.05 million ordinary shares. The equity consideration comprises upfront shares subject to lock-up provisions lasting up to two years after completion, as well as earnout shares that will vest if specified development and regulatory milestones are achieved.
For each asset, Oculis expects to assume existing licensing agreements with academic institutions. These agreements include low-single-digit royalty obligations and preserve the institutions’ rights to use the assets for academic and non-commercial purposes, as required under Spanish law.
The agreement has been approved by the boards of both companies and by Accure’s shareholders. The Privosegtor transaction is expected to close by Feb. 28, 2027, with the ACT-02 transaction due to close by March 31, 2027.
Privosegtor is being evaluated in PIONEER-1, the program’s first registrational trial, in patients following the acute onset of optic neuritis. The study includes patients both with and without multiple sclerosis, and clinical site activation is progressing as planned.
Oculis also recently received positive pre-investigational new drug feedback from the US Food and Drug Administration supporting a potential regulatory pathway for Privosegtor in acute multiple sclerosis relapses. The company plans to submit an investigational new drug application in the fourth quarter.
