Opus Genetics Reports Inducement Grant Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Dec. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Opus Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: IRD), (“Opus Genetics” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing gene therapies to restore vision and prevent blindness in patients with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), today announced that the Compensation Committee of its Board of Directors approved an equity award under the Company’s 2021 Inducement Plan, as amended, as a material inducement to employment to one non-executive employee who was not previously an employee or director of the Company. The equity award was approved in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), which also requires a public announcement of any equity awards that are not made under a stockholder approved equity plan.

The equity award was granted in the form of options to purchase an aggregate of 50,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The option award has an exercise price equal to the fair market value of an underlying share of Company common stock as of the date of grant and vest over a period of four years, with 25% vesting on the one-year anniversary of the grant date and the remaining 75% vesting in quarterly installments thereafter, subject to acceleration or forfeiture upon the occurrence of certain events as set forth in the applicable award agreement.

About Opus Genetics

Opus Genetics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing gene therapies to restore vision and prevent blindness in patients with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). The Company is developing durable, one-time treatments designed to address the underlying genetic causes of severe retinal disorders. The Company’s pipeline includes seven AAV-based programs, led by OPGx-LCA5 for LCA5-related mutations and OPGx-BEST1 for BEST1-related retinal degeneration, with additional candidates targeting RHO, RDH12, and MERTK. Opus Genetics is also advancing Phentolamine Ophthalmic Solution 0.75%, an approved small-molecule therapy for pharmacologically induced mydriasis, with additional indications in late-stage development for presbyopia and low-light visual disturbances following keratorefractive surgery. The Company is based in Research Triangle Park, NC. For more information, visit .

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