Perceive Biotherapeutics Completes Enrollment in Phase 2a JOURNEY Study of VOY-101 Gene Therapy for Geographic Atrophy and Appoints Tony Gibney to Board of Directors

Enrollment in the Phase 2a JOURNEY trial completed - exceeded planned target; topline 15-month data expected in late 2027

Veteran biotechnology executive with deep experience in complement-targeted therapies for geographic atrophy joins Board as independent Director

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Perceive Biotherapeutics, Inc. ("Perceive Bio" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company advancing novel gene therapies in ophthalmology and adjacent indications, today announced the completion of enrollment in the Phase 2a JOURNEY study (PBI-AMD-002 the "Study"), its Phase 1/2a clinical study of VOY-101 in patients with geographic atrophy (GA), the advanced form of non-neovascular (dry) age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Enrollment exceeded the Company's planned target, and topline data from the study's 15-month primary endpoint are expected in late 2027. The Company also announced the appointment of industry veteran, Tony Gibney, to its Board of Directors as an independent Director.

Phase 2a enrollment complete, exceeding planned target

JOURNEY exceeded the planned enrollment of 62 eyes to enroll 94 eyes, (47 participants). The Study is a randomized, open-label, multi-center evaluation of a single intravitreal injection of VOY-101 at the recommended Phase 2 dose established in Phase 1. Participants have bilateral GA lesions that are well-matched in size and one eye, selected by randomization, was treated with VOY-101 while the untreated fellow eye serves as the within-patient control thereby controlling for genetics, environmental exposures and participant age - all leading factors known to impact the disease course of AMD. The primary endpoint is the change in GA lesion size at Month 15. Secondary endpoints include change in GA lesion size through Month 24, visual acuity and function measures, development of macular neovascularization, and safety and tolerability.

"Completing enrollment in JOURNEY, and exceeding our target, reflects the urgency felt by patients living with geographic atrophy and the strong engagement of our investigators and study sites," said K. Angela Macfarlane, CEO of Perceive Bio. "VOY-101 is designed as a one-time treatment that restores the body's own protective regulation of the complement pathway in patients at elevated risk of progression. Approved therapies for GA require ongoing intravitreal injections, and outside the United States patients still have no approved treatment option. We believe a durable, genetically targeted gene therapy has the potential to transform how this disease is managed, and we look forward to reporting topline 15-month results in late 2027."

AMD is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in people over 60. GA, the advanced stage of the non-neovascular (dry) form of the disease, is estimated to affect more than 1.5 million people in the United States today¹ and results in progressive loss of the retinal pigment epithelium, photoreceptors and, ultimately, of central vision.

Industry veteran Tony Gibney joins the Company's Board of Directors

Perceive Bio is also pleased to announce that Tony Gibney has joined the Company's Board of Directors as an independent Director. Mr. Gibney is an experienced biotechnology executive and former investment banker with more than 30 years of experience leading and advising companies across finance, business development and strategy. Most recently, he served as Chief Financial and Business Officer of Aura Biosciences, Inc., a late-stage company focused on rare ocular oncology indications. Previously, he was Executive Vice President, Chief Business & Strategy Officer of Iveric Bio, Inc. until its acquisition by Astellas Pharma Inc. in 2023; Iveric was one of the first companies to receive approval for a complement inhibitor for geographic atrophy in the U.S. and other markets. Prior to that, Mr. Gibney served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer of Fog Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (now Parabilis Medicines) and as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer of Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he led the company's sale to Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 2020. Earlier in his career, he was Managing Director and Co-head of Biotechnology Investment Banking at Leerink Partners LLC and a Managing Director in Merrill Lynch's Healthcare Investment Banking Group. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of LAPIX Therapeutics, Inc. and InflaRx N.V.

"Tony brings a rare combination of financial, strategic and operating experience to the Perceive Bio Board, including a direct role in bringing one of the first complement inhibitors for geographic atrophy to market," said Cameron Wheeler, Partner at Deerfield Management. "His perspective on the GA landscape and on building companies through late-stage development and strategic transactions will be invaluable as Perceive Bio approaches its Phase 2a readout and plans the next stage of VOY-101's development."

"I am delighted to join the Perceive Bio Board at such an important time for the Company," said Mr. Gibney. "Having spent a significant part of my career in ophthalmology and in complement biology, I have seen firsthand the need among patients with geographic atrophy for more effective and durable treatments. Perceive's genetic-driven science and one-time, intravitreal injection gene therapy design have the potential to address that need by targeting CFH directly and thereby disrupting the natural progression of GA at its source."

About VOY-101 and the JOURNEY Study

VOY-101 is an investigational recombinant adeno-associated virus gene therapy encoding a form of the protective variant of Complement Factor H. Delivered by a single intravitreal injection, VOY-101 is designed to produce ongoing therapeutic protein to restore regulation of the complement pathway and slow the progression of GA, with the potential to serve as a one-time therapy.

The JOURNEY study (PBI-AMD-002; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT06087458) is a prospective, randomized, fellow-eye controlled, multi-center study of a single intravitreal injection of VOY-101 in patients with GA secondary to AMD. Study evaluates the efficacy and safety of VOY-101 in the treated study eye compared with the untreated, well-matched fellow eye in patients with bilateral GA. Participants are followed for 24 months.

About Perceive Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Perceive Biotherapeutics is advancing novel gene therapy treatments in ophthalmology and related verticals. Perceive was founded on compelling research elucidating novel protective biology for treating retinal blindness, including dry AMD, developed from foundational collaborations in genetic science and target validation. The Company is backed by Deerfield Management, Johnson & Johnson, through its corporate venture capital organization, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., GV, Braidwell LP, Gund Vision Fund (formerly known as Retinal Degeneration Fund), and Catalio Capital Management, LP. For more information, please visit www.perceivebio.com.

¹ Friedman DS, O'Colmain BJ, Muñoz B, et al.; Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group. Prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in the United States. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004;122(4):564–572. Friedman et al. estimated approximately 973,000 Americans with GA in 2000; the current figure applies that prevalence to the growth in the U.S. population aged 65 and older, from 35.0 million in the 2000 Census to 61.2 million in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates).

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For Perceive Bio:
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SOURCE Perceive Biotherapeutics, Inc.