Oculis secures up to CHF 100 million in expanded loan facility with BlackRock
Life sciences
5 August 2025
Oculis’ pipeline aims to bring non-invasive, transformative therapies to patients suffering from vision-threatening and neuro-ophthalmic conditions with limited treatment options.
Oculis expands its loan facility with BlackRock to CHF 100 million, extending its financial runway and supporting late-stage clinical trials.
Vaud-based biopharmaceutical company Oculis has announced an amended loan agreement with BlackRock, expanding its borrowing capacity from CHF 75 million to up to CHF 100 million. This upsized structure strengthens the company’s financial runway through early 2028, supporting ongoing development of its late-stage ophthalmic and neuroprotective treatments.
The revised agreement replaces a prior deal signed in May 2024 and comprises three tranches of CHF 25 million each, along with an optional fourth tranche of up to CHF 25 million, subject to mutual agreement. No funds were drawn at signing, but the structure offers Oculis enhanced flexibility as it moves closer to several clinical and regulatory milestones.
The company is progressing with three core product candidates :
- OCS-01, a topical eye drop for diabetic macular edema, is currently in Phase 3 DIAMOND trials. Topline results are expected in Q2 2026, followed by a potential NDA filing later that year.
- Privosegtor (OCS-05), a neuroprotective therapy, is preparing for regulatory discussions across three indications: acute optic neuritis, NAION, and multiple sclerosis relapses.
- Licaminlimab (OCS-02), an anti-TNFα eye drop for dry eye disease, will begin Phase 2/3 trials in the second half of 2025.
“Our current robust cash position provides runway into early 2028, which is further strengthened by the loan facility, as we remain focused on advancing our portfolio of differentiated assets,” said Riad Sherif, M.D., CEO of Oculis.
This latest financing development follows two major equity rounds over the past 18 months: a USD 59 million registered offering in April 2024 and an oversubscribed USD 100 million raise in February 2025. Together, these milestones underscore strong investor confidence in Oculis’s clinical pipeline and strategic vision.
Headquartered in Lausanne and operating in the US and Iceland, Oculis is publicly traded and dual-listed on NASDAQ and NASDAQ Iceland.
