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Ocuphire (OCUP) to Report Q4 Earnings: What's in the Cards?

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Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. , a clinical-stage company, is developing novel therapies to treat retinal and refractive eye disorder patients with unmet medical needs. The company is expected to report its fourth-quarter 2023 financial performance soon.

Ocuphire’s clinical-stage pipeline comprises its lead retinal product candidate, APX3330, a first-in-class small-molecule inhibitor of Ref-1, which is currently being evaluated for treating diabetic retinopathy (DR).

In the absence of a marketed product, the company is expected to provide updates on its pipeline when it reports its fourth-quarter results.

Let us see how things have shaped up for the quarter to be reported.

Factors to Consider

Ocuphire only records License and collaborations revenues in its top line. The company earns revenues from Viatris (VTRS - Free Report) , owing to the ongoing collaboration for the former’s refractive product candidate Phentolamine Ophthalmic Solution 0.75% (POS), a once-daily eye drop formulation to reduce pupil diameter and improve visual acuity.

General and administrative expenses in the to-be-reported quarter are expected to have been driven by professional services and personnel-related and other costs.

Research and development expenses are likely to have increased in the fourth quarter due to a rise in drug manufacturing, toxicology services and payroll and consulting-related costs.

In the past year, shares of Ocuphire have plunged 32.5% compared with the industry’s 7.4% decline.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Other Updates

Ocuphire has an ongoing licensing and collaboration agreement for POS with Viatris, which grants the latter an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, import, export and commercialize the same. 

In September 2023, OCUP and VTRS jointly announced the FDA’s approval of POS for the treatment of pharmacologically-induced mydriasis produced by adrenergic agonists or parasympatholytic agents. The drug will be marketed under the brand name, Ryzumvi. Ocuphire and Viatris expect to make the drug commercially available in the United States in the first half of 2024.

During the to-be-reported quarter, Ocuphire had a successful End-of-Phase 2 (EOP2) meeting with the FDA for APX3330 in DR. The EOP2 meeting was based on positive results from the completed phase II ZETA-1 study of the candidate, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of oral APX3330 in DR patients.

Earnings Surprise History

Ocuphire has a mixed earnings surprise history so far. The company beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, missing the mark on one occasion. OCUP has reported a four-quarter earnings surprise of 59.28%, on average.

Earnings Whisper

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Ocuphire this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. Unfortunately, that is not the case here, as you will see below. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Earnings ESP: Ocuphire has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% as the Zacks Consensus Estimate and the Most Accurate Estimate are both pegged at a loss of 7 cents.

Zacks Rank: OCUP currently has a Zacks Rank #3.

Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. Quote

Stocks to Consider

Here are some stocks in the same industry that have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this time around:

Cullinan Oncology (CGEM - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.04% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Cullinan’s stock has shot up 63.5% in the past year. It beat earnings estimates in two of the last four quarters, matching once and missing the mark on the remaining occasion. CGEM has a negative earnings surprise of 10.66%, on average.

Aadi Bioscience (AADI - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +5.26% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.

Aadi’s stock has plunged 78.2% in the past year. It beat earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters, missing the mark on one occasion. AADI has an earnings surprise of 8.71%, on average.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.


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