Eyconis Announces Initiation of First-in-Human Clinical Trial of EYC-0305 in Treatment-Naïve Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration Patients

First patients dosed in OVERTURE, a Phase 1b/2a study evaluating EYC-0305, a potential long-acting anti-VEGF therapy designed for six-month or longer dosing intervals via standard intravitreal injection

Milestone marks Eyconis’ transition to a clinical-stage biotechnology company

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eyconis, Inc., a biotechnology company developing next-generation, long-acting ophthalmic therapeutics, today announced the initiation of OVERTURE, the company’s first-in-human Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of EYC-0305 in treatment-naïve patients with neovascular, or wet, age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The first patients have been dosed in the study, marking Eyconis’ transition to a clinical-stage company.

EYC-0305 is Eyconis’ lead investigational therapy, designed to deliver sustained anti-VEGF activity using the TransCon® technology platform licensed from Ascendis Pharma for ophthalmology. EYC-0305 is being developed with the goal of providing durable disease control for patients with serious retinal disease while reducing treatment burden through extended dosing, with the potential to enable six-month or longer treatment intervals for many patients, without the need for surgery, an implant, or a device.

OVERTURE is an open-label, multiple ascending dose Phase 1b/2a clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of intravitreal EYC-0305 across multiple dose levels in treatment-naïve patients with wet AMD. Patients are expected to receive a single dose of EYC-0305 every 24 weeks, without traditional monthly loading doses. The study will also evaluate pharmacokinetics and measures of disease activity to inform the next stage of EYC-0305 clinical development, including the potential for durability beyond six months.

“Treating the first patients with EYC-0305 is an important milestone for Eyconis and for our mission to deliver durable, life-changing therapies that improve vision for people living with serious eye disease,” said Mark Bachleda, PharmD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Eyconis. “Anti-VEGF therapy has transformed the treatment of wet AMD, but real-world vision outcomes remain limited by the need for frequent injections and the challenges patients and eyecare providers face in maintaining visit-intensive treatment schedules. We believe EYC-0305 has the potential to deliver an unprecedented treatment profile — six months or longer of disease control for most patients, without the need for traditional monthly loading doses, through a standard intravitreal injection. If demonstrated clinically, we believe this would position EYC-0305 as a best-in-class therapy and establish a new foundational standard of care for patients with wet AMD and other retinal diseases.”

“Despite major advances in the treatment of exudative retinal diseases, there remains a significant unmet need for therapies that can safely and consistently extend dosing intervals while maintaining optimal disease control,” said Charles C. Wykoff, MD, PhD, Director of Research at Retina Consultants of Texas, investigator in the OVERTURE trial and scientific advisor to Eyconis. “A markedly longer-acting biologic anti-VEGF delivered by standard intravitreal injection would be an important advance. If EYC-0305 can deliver durable, predictable anti-VEGF activity from the first injection through six months or longer, it could potentially improve disease control and visual outcomes while fundamentally reducing treatment burden for patients, caregivers, and our global health-care system.”

Wet AMD is a leading cause of severe vision loss in older adults. It is driven by abnormal blood vessel growth and leakage in the retina, leading to fluid, bleeding, and progressive central vision loss. Retina specialists have identified longer-lasting therapies as one of the greatest unmet needs in wet AMD care.¹

About EYC-0305 and OVERTURE

EYC-0305 is an investigational TransCon anti-VEGF antibody fragment (Fab) therapy being developed for wet age-related macular degeneration and other serious retinal diseases. EYC-0305 is designed to provide sustained drug exposure in the retina for six months or longer following a single standard intravitreal injection.

OVERTURE is designed to evaluate EYC-0305 across multiple dose levels in treatment-naïve patients with wet AMD, with safety and tolerability as the primary focus and pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, disease activity, and vision as additional measures. Additional information is available at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT07587515. EYC-0305 has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory authority.

About Eyconis, Inc.

Eyconis, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, is advancing next-generation, long-acting ophthalmic therapeutics. Through an exclusive worldwide license in ophthalmology from Ascendis Pharma (NASDAQ: ASND), Eyconis is utilizing the commercially validated TransCon technology platform to develop therapies that have the potential to improve disease control and visual outcomes in people with serious eye disease. Eyconis’ lead program, EYC-0305, is being developed as a long-acting anti-VEGF therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration, with potential applicability across other retinal diseases including diabetic macular edema, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vein occlusion. Beyond EYC-0305, Eyconis is developing a broader pipeline of long-acting therapies across other ophthalmic indications with significant unmet need. For more information, visit www.eyconis.com.

Ascendis Pharma and TransCon are trademarks owned by the Ascendis Pharma group.

¹ Hahn P, ed. ASRS 2025 Preferences and Trends (PAT) Membership Survey. Chicago, IL: American Society of Retina Specialists; 2025.

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