Alcon, the global leader in eye care, has acquired a majority interest in Aurion Biotech, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing advanced cell therapies to treat eye diseases.
Aurion will operate as a separate company with full support from Alcon to advance its clinical-stage allogeneic cell therapy asset, AURN001, into Phase 3 for corneal edema secondary to corneal endothelial disease during the second half of 2025. Aurion will have access to the broader R&D, regulatory, medical ophthalmic and commercial capabilities of Alcon. In conjunction with this transaction, the Aurion Board has appointed Arnaud Lacoste, PhD, formerly Chief Scientific Officer, to the role of CEO of Aurion effective immediately.
Aurion has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy Designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for AURN001, a novel cell therapy for the treatment of corneal edema secondary to corneal endothelial disease.
AURN001 is a combination cell therapy product candidate comprised of allogeneic human corneal endothelial cells (neltependocel) and a rho kinase inhibitor (Y-27632). This investigational product has not been approved by the US FDA.
In September 2024, Aurion announced the first global commercial launch of the technology, Vyznova (which includes neltependocel), in Japan for the treatment of bullous keratopathy of the cornea. Bullous keratopathy is a sight-threatening and debilitating condition affecting the endothelial cells of the cornea causing accumulation of fluid in the form of blisters on the cornea, which can cause severe pain.
