Beacon Therapeutics announced positive data from Phase II DAWN trial

Syncona Ltd, (“Syncona” or the “Company”) a leading life science investor focused on creating, building and scaling global leaders in life science, notes that its portfolio company Beacon Therapeutics ("Beacon")  announced six-month interim safety and efficacy results from its Phase II DAWN trial of the company’s lead programme, laru-zova (laruparetigene zovaparvovec), in patients with X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2025 Annual Meeting. The publishing of this data is a capital access milestone^[1] for Beacon.

Key highlights from the presentation include:

• Patients in the trial showed improvements across several key visual function measures, demonstrating laru-zova's potential to enhance vision in patients with XLRP

• Data demonstrated early improvements in low luminance visual acuity (LLVA), an important measure of visual function, with greater two and three line improvements in the study eyes compared to previously treated fellow eyes in participants evaluated at month six or beyond.
• Data also showed early and sustained improvements in mean sensitivity in study eyes, as observed by microperimetry, indicating enhanced visual function in participants evaluated at month six or beyond.

• Laru-zova was generally well-tolerated by patients in the DAWN trial at six months

• Ocular treatment-emergent adverse events were generally non-serious and mild or moderate in severity, with a majority related to surgical procedures and steroids required by the protocol that have since resolved
• There were no suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions, retinal detachments or endophthalmitis (inflammation inside the eye) reported

Elisa Petris, Partner of Syncona Investment Management Limited and Board Director of Beacon Therapeutics, said: "We are really pleased with the progress at Beacon. It is fantastic to see continued visual improvements in patients evaluated at the six-month time point in this data update. We are optimistic as the company progresses enrolment for its Phase II/III pivotal study and look forward to seeing data in this crucial programme. We see a really differentiated opportunity with this therapy to transform the lives of patients with a devastating retinal blinding condition."  

Beacon's announcement is copied below and can be accessed at the company's website at beacontx.com.

[1] Defined in Notes to Editors