Switzerland-based biopharmaceutical company Oculis Holding AG (NASDAQ:OCS) (XICE:OCS) announced on Monday that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Accure Therapeutics S.L., a private translational neuroscience R&D company, to acquire worldwide development and commercial rights to Privosegtor (ACT-01), strengthening its position in neuro-ophthalmology.

The transaction will terminate Oculis' existing licence agreement with Accure, including associated milestone payments and royalties, while providing Oculis greater economic participation in the asset's future development.

Oculis will pay USD3.8m in cash and issue up to 2.05 million ordinary shares for Privosegtor and ACT-02, an early-stage preclinical neurology candidate, subject to separate closing conditions.

The Privosegtor transaction is expected to close by 28 February 2027, while the ACT-02 transaction is expected to close by 31 March 2027.

Privosegtor is a peptoid small molecule designed to cross the blood-brain and retinal barriers and has potential applications as a neuroprotective therapy for optic neuritis and other neuro-ophthalmic and neuro-axonal diseases.

Following the Phase 2 ACUITY trial, Oculis launched the PIONEER programme, which includes three pivotal trials supporting potential registration of Privosegtor in optic neuropathies. The company said PIONEER-1, evaluating Privosegtor in patients following acute optic neuritis with and without multiple sclerosis, is advancing as planned, while recent FDA pre-IND feedback supports a potential regulatory pathway in acute MS relapses ahead of a planned fourth-quarter 2026 IND submission.