Ocugen (NASDAQ:OCGN) expects pivotal data for its lead experimental gene therapy for retinitis pigmentosa in the first quarter of 2027, a milestone that could set up a regulatory filing later that year, CEO Shankar Musunuri said at a company presentation.
The company is also advancing treatments for Stargardt disease and geographic atrophy associated with dry age-related macular degeneration. Musunuri said Ocugen’s approach is intended to address broad patient populations rather than target individual genetic mutations.
Retinitis Pigmentosa Results and Filing Plans
Ocugen’s lead candidate, OCU400, is being studied in a 140-patient Phase III trial for retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disease that causes progressive vision loss. Musunuri said the trial includes patients with approximately 30 genetic mutations and covers patients from pediatric to adult ages and from early to advanced disease stages.
The primary endpoint measures improvement on a mobility test, comparing the percentage of treated and untreated patients who can navigate the course at two lower light levels than at baseline. Low-luminance visual acuity is a secondary measure intended to help assess longer-term changes, Musunuri said.
In an earlier Phase I/II study, approximately 89% of patients showed stabilization or improvement on a functional measure, according to Musunuri. He said an analysis using the Phase III scoring approach found that 71% met the two-level mobility threshold. The earlier trial included three mutations, compared with the broader range in the ongoing study.
Musunuri said the company plans to seek a pre-filing meeting with the Food and Drug Administration after the topline results and aims to submit a biologics license application in the second quarter of 2027. He said a potential FDA decision and launch could follow in the fourth quarter of 2027. Ocugen also plans to file for European authorization after its U.S. submission and is working with Japan’s regulator.
Those plans depend on the trial results and regulatory review. Musunuri said the treatment requires patients to have some retinal photoreceptors remaining and is not intended for patients with severe disease who lack them.
Other Programs and Commercial Plans
Ocugen expects second-quarter 2027 topline results from its Phase II/III program for OCU410ST in Stargardt disease, Musunuri said. Its OCU410 program for geographic atrophy is recruiting patients for a 240-person global trial in the United States, Canada and Europe. The company hopes to complete recruitment next year, he said.
OCU410 and OCU410ST use the same RORA gene and viral vector but have different concentrations and are technically different products, Musunuri said. OCU400 uses a different gene, NR2E3. All three candidates are administered through a subretinal procedure and are intended as potential one-time treatments.
For commercialization, Musunuri said Ocugen plans to expand its clinical-trial network into 50 to 100 centers of excellence, where surgeons would follow a consistent procedure and monitor patients over time. He said the company has launch supplies ready and intends to bring facilities in Malvern, Pennsylvania, online over the next two to three years.
Musunuri presented potential pricing of $1 million to $2 million for retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt treatments and discussed substantially lower pricing for geographic atrophy. Those figures were estimates used to illustrate potential market opportunities, not announced product prices.
Funding Outlook
Ocugen has a cash runway into 2028 that should allow it to finish its development programs, Musunuri said. He added that the company expects to need capital for commercialization and would consider options including equity and royalty financing, while prioritizing non-dilutive funding where possible.
About Ocugen (NASDAQ:OCGN)
Ocugen, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing gene therapies for inherited retinal diseases and other eye conditions. Its approach includes modifier gene therapies designed to address multiple genetic causes of disease, rather than targeting a single mutation. The company’s clinical programs include OCU400 for retinitis pigmentosa, OCU410 for geographic atrophy associated with dry age-related macular degeneration, and OCU410ST for Stargardt disease. These programs are investigational and are not approved treatments.
