New York, Feb 17, 2026, 05:15 EST — Premarket
- OCUL jumped roughly 30% premarket, with investors eyeing a Phase 3 data release expected this morning
- The company set a webcast for 8 a.m. ET to go over topline SOL-1 results in wet AMD.
- The complete dataset is expected to be presented at the Macula Society meeting later this month.
Ocular Therapeutix surged 30% ahead of the bell Tuesday, with traders zeroing in on a pivotal clinical readout that could shake up views on its main retinal asset.
This is a pivotal juncture for a biotech still in development—one topline readout can swing the share price within minutes. Wet age-related macular degeneration, after all, revolves around ongoing eye injections that patients often remain on for years.
Traders are zeroed in on whether the company’s strategy can maintain vision results—even as it lengthens the interval between treatments. That dosing stretch is a major pitch in a sector where treatment frequency is a frequent gripe.
Ocular plans to hold a webcast at 8:00 a.m. ET, where it will go over the topline readout from its SOL-1 Phase 3 superiority trial of AXPAXLI, or OTX-TKI, in wet AMD. According to the company, a detailed look at the data is set for the 49th Macula Society Annual Meeting, running Feb. 25-28.
Ocular describes AXPAXLI as an axitinib intravitreal hydrogel, developed with its proprietary bioresorbable hydrogel platform. The company added that it’s investigating AXPAXLI for other retinal diseases as well.
The situation isn’t one-sided, though. In a December filing, Ocular pointed out that U.S. regulators have typically asked for two solid, well-controlled studies to approve ophthalmic drugs targeting big markets such as wet AMD. The company flagged the risk: even with favorable results, the FDA could reject a submission based on just one trial. Still, Ocular said it plans to file a new drug application using only year-one data from SOL-1—if the numbers look good—rather than hold back for more clinical results.
There’s no shortage of rivals. Regeneron’s Eylea remains a mainstay anti-VEGF injection for wet AMD, while Roche sells Vabysmo, which also goes after retinal disease pathways with an injected approach.
Investors aren’t just watching the headline numbers coming on Tuesday—they’re expected to dig into specifics around safety and durability once the Macula Society meeting kicks off Feb. 25-28 in Coronado, California. The full presentation is expected there.
