Overview
Guggenheim analyst Yatin Suneja has named Surrozen Inc (NASDAQ: SRZN) as his top biotechnology stock pick, highlighting the company's progress in developing ophthalmic therapies.
Surrozen announced the filing of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for SZN‑8141, a bispecific molecule that combines Wnt agonism with an anti‑VEGF component for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. Clearance of the IND triggers the release of the second tranche of financing amounting to $98.4 million from the company’s 2025 financing round, which totals $175 million, and is intended to fund the Phase Ib/IIa DUET study and a Phase I safety, tolerability and efficacy study of SZN‑8143, a bispecific construct linking FZD4, LRP5/6 with anti‑VEGF and anti‑IL‑6 activities.
Guggenheim expects the IND clearance process to be completed within the next 30 days. Surrozen remains on schedule to commence the Phase Ib/IIa DUET study in diabetic macular edema patients by the end of 2026, after which initial Phase Ib single‑ascending‑dose data and a potential interim read‑out of Phase IIa are anticipated.
The analyst also draws attention to Merck’s BRUNELLO study, which involves 984 patients and is slated to present topline results on 10 October 2026 at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting; a positive read‑out showing statistically significant improvement in best‑corrected visual acuity or reduction in central subfield thickness could be material for the sector, given the lack of any mechanism to date demonstrating non‑inferiority to anti‑VEGF agents in diabetic macular edema or wet age‑related macular degeneration in a pivotal trial.