Oculis co-founders selected as finalists in European Inventor Award 2023

Oculis Holding AG (Nasdaq: OCS) (“Oculis”), a global biopharmaceutical company purposefully driven to save sight and improve eye care, today announced the nomination of its co-founders, Professors Einar Stefánsson and Thorsteinn Loftsson, as finalists in the ‘Research’ category of the European Inventor Award 2023.

The European Inventor Award is one of Europe's most prestigious innovation prizes. Launched by the European Patent Office in 2006, the award honours individuals and teams who have come up with solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time.

Professors Stefánsson and Loftsson, who co-founded Oculis, have been nominated in recognition of their research developing Oculis’ OPTIREACH solubilizing formulation technology. OPTIREACH was created to solve the limitations of conventional eye drops, including the limited solubility of drugs in eye drop formulations, quick removal by tear flow and inability to deliver drugs to the retina.

The technology is one of the proprietary platforms underpinning Oculis’ highly differentiated pipeline of innovative product candidates, including lead candidate OCS-01, a novel, high concentration, preservative-free, topical formulation of dexamethasone, currently in development in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and for the treatment of inflammation and pain following cataract surgery. The technology is also being leverage in other ongoing formulation projects.

Riad Sherif, M.D., CEO of Oculis, said: “I’m delighted that Einar’s and Thorsteinn’s research has been recognised by the European Patent Office. This technology is key to our efforts to develop novel treatments that can help prescribers to improve patients’ eyesight and enhance their quality of life. With OPTIREACH, we have the opportunity to develop eye drops that can reach the back of the eye at therapeutic concentrations, changing the ophthalmology treatment paradigm and reducing the need for more invasive treatments.”

Professors Einar Stefánsson and Thorsteinn Loftsson have been named as one of three finalists in the ‘Research’ category of the European Inventor Award 2023, which recognises outstanding inventors with successful inventions patented in Europe. 

The winners of the 2023 edition of the EPO’s awards will be announced at a hybrid ceremony on 4 July 2023 in Valencia.