Ocuphire Pharma Acquires Opus Genetics to Drive IRD Gene Therapy Advances

𝐎𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐩𝐮𝐬 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬

🤝 Ocuphire Pharma has acquired Opus Genetics in an all-stock merger, forming a new company, Opus Genetics, Inc., which was effective on October 23, 2024. In the new structure, Ocuphire’s shareholders hold 58% ownership, while Opus Genetics’ shareholders hold 42%. This merger aims to accelerate treatments for inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) by combining Ocuphire’s pharmaceutical expertise with Opus Genetics’ gene therapy innovations.

👀 George Magrath, CEO and Board Member at Opus Genetics noted the “promising early data” of Opus Genetics therapeutic IRD pipeline, saying that this acquisition “is an opportunity to advance these treatments quickly, with four major clinical milestones on the horizon in 2025.”