Aurion Biotech, Inc. ("Aurion Biotech"), a commercial-stage regenerative cell therapy company dedicated to restoring vision, today announced that the company will present at the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) 2026 Annual Meeting, taking place in Indianapolis, Indiana, from June 3-6 and at the American-European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery (AECOS) 2026 European Symposium, June 11-14 in Madrid, Spain.
Aurion has been invited for the first time to participate in a panel discussion at EBAA, focused on Innovative Solutions in the field. Separately, Aurion will join a panel presentation at AECOS, where the conversation will center on the latest advances in corneal therapy.
Despite significant advances in keratoplasty, high unmet needs remain for corneal endothelial disease patients. Worldwide there are 500,0001 new cases annually, but fewer than 87,0002 patients receive treatment each year. Aurion's regenerative cell therapy has the potential to transform care, expanding the gift of sight from one donor to help thousands of patients.
"We are grateful for the invitation to speak at this year's EBAA Annual Meeting," said Eris Jordan, OD, Chief Development Officer of Aurion Biotech. "The EBAA has long championed the belief that the gift of sight belongs to everyone. Aurion was founded on that same conviction. Together, we honor every donor by transforming a single donor cornea into the power to restore vision for over a thousand patients in need."
EBAA Presentation:
Session: Innovative Solutions Showcase
Date/Time: Friday, June 5, 2026, 8:00-10:00am ET
Presenter: Eris Jordan, OD, CDO of Aurion Biotech
"At Aurion Biotech, we are developing therapies designed to restore vision, maximize access to care globally, and optimize the impact of ocular tissue donations," said Arnaud Lacoste, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer. of Aurion Biotech. "In the United States, our late-stage, investigational therapy, AURN001, provides an opportunity to replace tissue-based graft surgery with a cultured cell therapy designed to restore corneal health and vision at a global scale. Aurion's novel approach is supported by a decade of robust data, including seven clinical trials, 250 patients treated across multiple geographies and 10-year follow-up data demonstrating that vision gains typically last for over a decade. Approved in Japan under the name VyznovaTM, our cell therapy is already being adopted by the corneal surgeon community in Japan and changing the lives of patients affected by vision loss related to corneal endothelial dystrophies."
AECOS Presentation:
Session/Title: Section 2: Advances in Corneal Therapy/Injectable Cell Therapy
Date/Time: Thursday, June 11, 2026 12:50-1:40pm CET
Presenter: Arnaud Lacoste, PhD, CEO of Aurion Biotech
Aurion Biotech is an affiliate member of the EBAA.
About Corneal Endothelial Dysfunction
Corneal endothelial dysfunction is a sight-threatening condition affecting millions worldwide, caused by the irreversible loss of endothelial cells that are essential for maintaining corneal clarity. When these cells die or degrade, they do not regenerate. The cornea relies on functional endothelial cells to remain compact and clear. When they fail, fluid can build up leading to corneal edema and debilitating vision loss that often necessitates a corneal transplant. However, the global supply of donor tissue is critically limited with only one donor cornea available for every 70 diseased eyes.3 Transplant procedures can be difficult, and the recovery process is intensive: patients undergoing certain transplant procedures must lie flat on their backs for up to three days to allow the transplant to adhere.
About Corneal Endothelial Cell Therapy (CECT)
Aurion Biotech is advancing Corneal Endothelial Cell Therapy (CECT), a regenerative treatment that aims to replace lost or dysfunctional endothelial cells. The cells delivered to patients are human corneal endothelial cells obtained from donated corneas and do not contain any synthetic materials or involve artificial cellular reprogramming. Aurion's cells are intended to repopulate the endothelium and help reestablish a corneal structure that is virtually indistinguishable from a healthy cornea.
About AURN001
AURN001 is an investigational, first-in-class, single-administration, allogeneic cell therapy designed to transform treatment for corneal endothelial disease, including Fuchs dystrophy. It consists of unmodified allogeneic human corneal endothelial cells (neltependocel) combined with a rho-kinase inhibitor (Y-27632). AURN001 is designed to regenerate corneal clarity and vision through an intracameral injection that has the potential to reduce treatment-related complications and support a fast post-operative recovery. AURN001 is in Phase 3 development and is not yet approved for any use in the U.S.
About Aurion Biotech
Aurion's mission is to restore vision to millions of patients with life-changing regenerative therapies. Aurion is a commercial stage company in Japan and a clinical stage company in pivotal Phase 3 development in the U.S. In 2024, Aurion launched VyznovaTM, the first cell therapy for corneal endothelial disease commercially available in Japan. Aurion received the prestigious Prix Galien award for Best Start-Up in Biotech in 2022 and was named to Fast Company's annual list of Most Innovative Companies in 2025. In 2025, Alcon acquired majority ownership of Aurion Biotech. For more information, visit www.aurionbiotech.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the clinical development, potential benefits, manufacturing capacity, regulatory status, and timing of future clinical trials of AURN001. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including those related to clinical trial design, patient enrollment, safety and efficacy results, regulatory review and approval, manufacturing, supply, and other factors. Aurion undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.
| ______________ | ||
1 | Source: NIH; JAMA: Global Survey of Corneal Transplantation Eye Banking | |
2 | EBAA 2024 Annual Report; company analysis | |
3 | Gain P, Jullienne R, He Z, et al. Global Survey of Corneal Transplantation and Eye Banking. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2016;134(2):167-173. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2015.4776 | |
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260528195872/en/
Contacts:
Media Contacts:
Michele Gray (Ophthalmology Media)
Beth Keshishian (Business Biotech Media)
PR@aurionbiotech.com
