Jul 15, 2026 · 6 min · 5 segments
Tarsus acquires the maker of an investigational ocular antiseptic; Alcon and RxSight partner to jointly develop adjustable PCIOLs; and the FDA will hold a meeting to discuss Sydnexis’ investigational…
Kendall O'ConnorHost
In our top story, Tarsus has acquired Irenix Medical, maker of an investigational ocular antiseptic, IRX101.
IRX101 is a stable aqueous chlorine dioxide solution being developed to reduce post-procedural pain and corneal toxicity in patients receiving intravitreal therapy.
According to Tarsus, more than 11 million intravitreal injections are performed annually in the US, most using povidone iodine as a pre-procedural antiseptic.
In the completed Phase 2b3 relief trial of 154 patients, IRX101 demonstrated statistically significant improvements versus povidone iodine on two co-primary endpoints.
Post-procedural pain scores were reduced by about 50% relative to povidone iodine, and half of patients in the IRX101 group reported a pain score of zero.
Under terms of the deal, Tarsus will pay $75 million upfront, split evenly between cash and common stock, with potential milestone payments of up to $490 million.
In a call with investors, Tarsus CEO and Chairman Dr. Bobby Azemian discussed the rationale for the acquisition.
One of the many reasons we're excited about this acquisition is the scale of the need.
More than 11 million intravitreal or IVT injections are performed each year in the United States.
Many patients return every four to eight weeks, often for years, to preserve their vision.
Yet, one of the most fundamental parts of the procedure, antiseptic preparation before the injection, has not seen any meaningful innovation in more than 40 years.
With IRX101, we believe we have the opportunity to substantially improve the patient treatment experience and outcomes, making it easier for patients to continue site-preserving treatment while also reducing the burden for physicians.
Tarsa said it plans to initiate a Phase III study in the first half of 2027 to evaluate the tolerability and safety of IRX101 compared with povidone iodine.
In our top story, Tarsus has acquired Irenix Medical, maker of an investigational ocular antiseptic, IRX101.
IRX101 is a stable aqueous chlorine dioxide solution being developed to reduce post-procedural pain and corneal toxicity in patients receiving intravitreal therapy.
According to Tarsus, more than 11 million intravitreal injections are performed annually in the US, most using povidone iodine as a pre-procedural antiseptic.
In the completed Phase 2b3 relief trial of 154 patients, IRX101 demonstrated statistically significant improvements versus povidone iodine on two co-primary endpoints.
Post-procedural pain scores were reduced by about 50% relative to povidone iodine, and half of patients in the IRX101 group reported a pain score of zero.
Under terms of the deal, Tarsus will pay $75 million upfront, split evenly between cash and common stock, with potential milestone payments of up to $490 million.
In a call with investors, Tarsus CEO and Chairman Dr. Bobby Azemian discussed the rationale for the acquisition.
One of the many reasons we're excited about this acquisition is the scale of the need.
More than 11 million intravitreal or IVT injections are performed each year in the United States.
Many patients return every four to eight weeks, often for years, to preserve their vision.
Yet, one of the most fundamental parts of the procedure, antiseptic preparation before the injection, has not seen any meaningful innovation in more than 40 years.
With IRX101, we believe we have the opportunity to substantially improve the patient treatment experience and outcomes, making it easier for patients to continue site-preserving treatment while also reducing the burden for physicians.
Tarsa said it plans to initiate a Phase III study in the first half of 2027 to evaluate the tolerability and safety of IRX101 compared with povidone iodine.
The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
Search every transcript — by keyword, by phrase, or by meaning, across every show Radar indexes
Trends — what is surging across podcasts, measured against its own baseline
Alerts — when a name you follow appears in a newly indexed episode
No account is needed to search Radar.
