Everstone Pharma Expands Ophthalmology Portfolio with Two Differentiated Innovations: LNZ100 and VIS-101

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Corporate News] In recent years, driven by policy support, population aging, and the widespread adoption of electronic devices, China’s ophthalmology market has continued to expand. Data show that the market size increased from RMB 20.282 billion in 2019 to RMB 26.802 billion in 2023, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.22%. By 2030, the market is projected to reach RMB 116.6 billion.
 

Currently, focusing on the ophthalmic market with a scale of hundreds of billions, many pharmaceutical companies are accelerating their strategic layout. For example, on June 8, Everest Medicines announced that it had reached an agreement with LENZ Therapeutics to acquire the development, production, and commercialization rights for the new ophthalmic drug LNZ100 (1.44% aceclidine, U.S. trade name VIZZ) in Greater China (including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan). The deal requires upfront payments and milestone payments for development, while also granting Everest Medicines the rights under the relevant licensing agreement signed by LENZ Therapeutics in April 2022.
 

Everest Medicines stated that the in-licensing of LNZ100 represents a significant step in deepening its strategic layout in the ophthalmology sector, further enriching its late-stage product pipeline and injecting new growth momentum into the company’s development.
 

It is reported that LNZ100, developed by LENZ Therapeutics, is a once-daily eye drop for the treatment of presbyopia. It takes effect rapidly within 30 minutes after administration and provides sustained improvement for 10 hours. In April 2022, Jixing Pharmaceutical acquired the exclusive rights for the Greater China region. The drug was approved in the United States in July 2025 and launched commercially in October. A New Drug Application (NDA) was submitted in China in September, with approval expected in the first quarter of 2027.
 

It is worth noting that this acquisition is not Everest Medicines’ first foray into ophthalmology. In October 2025, Everest Medicines licensed VIS-101, a novel bifunctional biologic targeting VEGF-A and ANG-2, formally entering the ophthalmology sector. The product is expected to meet the requirements for initiating Phase III clinical trials in China in 2026.
 

It is understood that VIS-101 is a novel bifunctional biologic agent expected to provide more durable therapeutic benefits for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). In 2026, VIS-101 is anticipated to meet the requirements for entering Phase III clinical trials in China.
 

In addition to the ophthalmology sector, since 2026, Everest Medicines has also intensively acquired multiple innovative drugs in the nephrology field with late-stage clinical data and clear market launch expectations through external introductions.
 

On February 4, Everest Medicines and MicroPort officially signed an exclusive commercialization license agreement. Under this agreement, MicroPort granted Everest Medicines the exclusive commercialization rights for MT1013 in China and the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan). MT1013 is a dual-target receptor agonist peptide that simultaneously targets the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) and the osteogenic growth peptide (OGP) receptor. It is primarily being developed for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), with its Phase III clinical trial currently underway in China.
 

On June 4, Everest Medicines announced that it had entered into a commercialization licensing agreement with TianGuangShi Biopharmaceuticals, securing the rights for clinical development and commercialization of Beijixin® in the Asia-Pacific region (including Southeast Asia, India, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong China, Macau China, and Taiwan China). Beijixin® is an innovative third-generation CD20 antibody drug independently developed by TianGuangShi Biopharmaceuticals. It was approved for marketing in China in February 2026 for the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). Currently, ongoing Phase III clinical trials also cover multiple therapeutic areas, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and follicular lymphoma (FL).
 

Overall, since 2026, Everest Medicines has intensively introduced new drugs primarily to continuously deepen its strategic layout in core therapeutic areas. In the future, with the market launch of LNZ100, the approval of new indications for Beijiexin, and the steady advancement of MT1013 through clinical development, the company will accelerate its transition from the early stage of “Nefecon-driven single engine” to a new phase characterized by the synergistic strength of multiple pipelines in “nephrology + autoimmune + ophthalmology.”
 

　　Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall the information or opinions expressed in this article constitute investment advice for any person.