Overview
- Bayer reached an agreement Wednesday to buy Perfuse for up to $2.45 billion, with $300 million upfront and the rest tied to milestones pending antitrust and shareholder approvals.
- The prize asset is PER-001, a small‑molecule placed in the eye by a bio‑erodible implant that releases medicine over time and blocks endothelin, a protein that tightens blood vessels.
- The drug is in Phase II for glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, with Perfuse reporting Phase IIa gains in visual field and contrast sensitivity versus control last year.
- Bayer frames the deal as a way to refresh its ophthalmology lineup as sales from Eylea face patent expiry and competition from rival versions.
- Perfuse is also exploring PER-001 for geographic atrophy and retinal vein occlusion, which could expand its reach if later studies succeed and could offer patients fewer injections and better day‑to‑day vision.