Oculis Shares Rise After $110 Million Capital Raise for Vision Drugs
Oversubscribed financing signals strong investor confidence in the Swiss biotech's pipeline, particularly its novel neuroprotective candidate, privosegtor.
Shares of Oculis Holding AG (OCS) climbed in trading Thursday after the Swiss biopharmaceutical company announced it had successfully secured $110 million in an oversubscribed financing round. The capital injection is aimed at accelerating the clinical development of its promising treatments for severe eye diseases.
The company’s stock rose 2.62% to $21.55 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq, pushing its market capitalization to approximately $1.1 billion. The move brings the stock closer to its 52-week high of $23.08, reflecting sustained investor optimism.
The financing, which saw demand exceed the number of shares offered, was priced at $20.25 per share, according to company statements. The deal was managed by a syndicate of investment banks including J.P. Morgan, Leerink Partners, and Pareto Securities, lending significant institutional credibility to the offering.
Fueling a Novel Neuroprotective Drug
The proceeds are primarily earmarked to advance Oculis's lead neuroprotective candidate, privosegtor (also known as OCS-05). The company intends to use the funds to accelerate clinical trials for the drug as a potential treatment for acute optic neuritis (AON) and other optic neuropathies, conditions that can lead to severe vision loss and for which there are currently limited effective therapies.
This capital raise significantly strengthens Oculis's balance sheet, providing the financial runway to push its key asset through critical development stages. The company plans to initiate the Phase 2b PIONEER-1 trial for privosegtor in the fourth quarter of 2025, with a second pivotal trial slated for the first half of 2026.
Strong Wall Street Backing
The successful financing reinforces an already bullish outlook from Wall Street analysts. The consensus rating for Oculis is a "Strong Buy," with seven analysts covering the stock all recommending a purchase. The average analyst price target stands at approximately $42.92, suggesting a potential upside of nearly 100% from its current trading price.
Firms like Stifel and H.C. Wainwright have recently reiterated positive ratings, citing the potential of the company's broader pipeline, which also includes OCS-01, a topical eye drop being evaluated for diabetic macular edema (DME) and inflammation following cataract surgery.
A Look at the Pipeline
Beyond privosegtor, Oculis is advancing other candidates that address significant unmet needs in ophthalmology. Its product OCS-01 has already met primary endpoints in a Phase 3 trial for treating inflammation and pain after cataract surgery, with a New Drug Application planned for early 2025. Furthermore, pivotal data from two studies of OCS-01 in DME, a leading cause of blindness in working-age adults, is anticipated in the second quarter of 2026.
With fresh capital secured and a series of key clinical milestones on the horizon, Oculis is positioning itself as a key innovator in the ophthalmology space. The strong investor support for its latest financing round underscores the market's belief in the potential of its science to deliver both clinical and shareholder value.