Tarsus to expand eye disease pipeline with up to $800 million Alkeus acquisition

Separately, the company reported $173.9 million in second-quarter sales, beating Wall Street estimates of $169.7 million, according to data compiled by LSEG.

• Alkeus stockholders could receive up to $350 million more tied to regulatory approval and first commercial sale milestones, as well as low-single-digit percentage royalties on net sales of the drug, gildeuretinol.
• Tarsus shares were up 2% in early trading.
• Gildeuretinol, also known as ALK-001, could slow retinal damage and help preserve vision in patients with Stargardt disease, said Tarsus.
• Stargardt disease often begins in childhood or adolescence and progressively damages central vision, affecting patients' ability to read, recognize faces and drive.
• More than 36,000 people in the United States have been clinically diagnosed with the disease, Tarsus said.
• "We did some market research... showing structural benefit, functional benefit... a really nice safety profile. And we surveyed about 100 retinal docs... we really think this is a billion-dollar-plus opportunity," said Chief Financial and Strategy Officer Jeff Farrow.
• "The price range we would consider... (is) around that price point," said interim commercial chief .