Tarsus Pharmaceuticals To Acquire Alkeus Pharmaceuticals
(RTTNews) - Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc (TARS), a biopharmaceutical company focused on eye care, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a retinal disease-focused biotechnology company.
Alkeus' lead candidate Gildeuretinol (ALK-001), an investigational once-daily oral therapy in Phase 3 development for Stargardt disease, a rare inherited retinal disorder with no FDA-approved treatment. More than 36,000 people in the U.S. are clinically diagnosed with Stargardt, which progressively damages central vision. The pivotal TEASE-1 and TEASE-2 trials are designed to evaluate ALK-001's ability to slow disease progression by reducing toxic vitamin A dimers that drive retinal cell damage, with the goal of slowing disease progression and preserving vision. Over 400 individuals have been treated with ALK-001 to date, with encouraging structural and functional findings and more than seven years of long-term tolerability data.
The pivotal Phase 3 NORTHSTAR trial is expected to deliver top-line results in the second half of 2029. The program has received Breakthrough Therapy, Orphan Drug and Rare Pediatric Disease designations from the FDA.
Under the terms of the agreement, Tarsus will acquire Alkeus for up to $800 million, including upfront and milestone-based payments tied to regulatory commercial achievements. The acquisition is expected to close in 2026, subject to customary conditions. The deal builds on Tarsus' recent acquisition of iRenix Medical and its investigational program IRX-101, further strengthening the company's pipeline across eye care. Management highlighted that the addition of Alkeus positions TarSus with one of the most compelling pipelines in eye care.
Tarsus plans to integrate Alkeus' programs into its broader strategy to advance differentiated medicines for patients with significant unmet needs.
TARS has traded between $44.67 and $85.25 over the past year. The stock closed Wednesday's trading at $61.29, up 0.29%. In pre-market trading the stock is at $59.44, down 3.02%.
