Kodiak Sciences Stock Surges 156% After Eye-Disease Drugs Pass Key Trial -- Barrons.com

By Mackenzie Tatananni

Shares of Kodiak Sciences more than doubled Monday after two experimental eye drugs succeeded in a late-stage trial, positioning the biopharmaceutical company to get its first product to market.

Kodiak Sciences announced that Zenkuda and KSI-501, two experimental treatments for wet age-related macular degeneration, met their primary goal in a late-stage study. Zenkuda, in particular, demonstrated "a potential new standard-of-care profile," delivering relief immediately after administration along with long-lasting therapeutic benefits.

Shares spiked 156% to $82.92, putting them on track for their largest single-day percentage increase on record as well as the highest close since January 2022. The stock had risen 16% this year heading into Monday's session, pacing narrowly ahead of the small-cap Russell 2000 index, of which it is a component.

Kodiak Sciences combined both experimental drugs into a single study against a shared control group instead of running two separate, costly Phase 3 clinical trials. The candidates were tested against Regeneron Pharmaceuticals' Eylea, the current standard of care. Researchers were looking for non-inferiority, meaning the drugs were at least as effective as Eylea at helping patients gain back vision at one year of treatment.

Zenkuda and KSI-501 both target a protein responsible for abnormal, leaky blood vessel growth in the eye, while KSI-501 offers a secondary mechanism to suppress inflammation. While the trial only sought non-inferiority to Eylea, true commercial success will depend on how well the drugs differentiate themselves through extended durability or longer dosing intervals.

Kodiak Sciences pegs the global market for retinal vascular disease drugs at $15 billion. The biotech aims to capture share in an increasingly competitive landscape, as evidenced by by the late-July approval of Outlook Therapeutics' Lytenava for wet AMD.

Following the latest clinical results, Kodiak Sciences plans to file a Biologics License Application for Zenkuda in the fourth quarter-a formal request for regulatory approval to market the drug. If successful, Zenkuda would move from Kodiak Sciences' longest-running pipeline fixture to its first commercial product.

The strength of the data "positions us for the next stage of Kodiak's evolution," CEO Victor Perlroth said as the company moves to commercialize Zenkuda for wet AMD alongside other major retinal diseases.

While the asset remains in clinical testing, Perlroth described the latest results with KSI-501 as "highly encouraging." The company is exploring its efficacy in patients with diabetic macular edema in an ongoing Phase 3 study. Pivotal data for another late-stage asset, KSI-101, is slated for December.

Kodiak Sciences specializes in treatments for eye disease and aims to target the causes of blindness. It has been a mostly quiet year for the stock, save for a 70% surge during one session in March following a positive readout for Zenkuda in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

Goldman Sachs resumed coverage of the biotechnology sector last week, rating Kodiak Sciences at Neutral. Following what she called a "multi-year portfolio reset," analyst Andrea Newkirk noted that the company was set to read out data "imminently."

While positive results would solidify plans for regulatory submissions, Newkirk asserted at the time they were "unlikely to meaningfully move shares." That thesis clearly was proven incorrect, as shares skyrocketed to a 52-week high on Monday.

Still, Newkirk sees limited commercial upside, noting that neither arm of the study is positioned to gain a meaningful edge in today's market. Lingering questions remain over Zenkuda's durability, while KSI-501 will require additional data to secure regulatory approval.

Crucially, KSI-501 is being tested on an eight-week schedule. Matching Eylea on this timeline offers little value because the wet AMD market has already shifted to extended-interval drugs like Eylea HD and Genentech's Vabysmo, Newkirk wrote.

If Newkirk's note was any indication, some on Wall Street were caught off guard by Monday's rally. While Kodiak Sciencess has won over investors for the moment, its long-term trajectory hinges on whether it can carve out meaningful market share against established rivals.

Write to Mackenzie Tatananni at mackenzie.tatananni@barrons.com

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September 28, 2026 10:39 ET (14:39 GMT)