Syncona (LSE:SYNC) shares rose 7.4% after its portfolio company Beacon Therapeutics announced that its pivotal Phase II/III VISTA trial of laru-zova, a gene therapy for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP), met its primary endpoint with statistical significance at 12 months.
The announcement was published through a Regulatory News Service filing and identified as containing inside information. Syncona described the results as an important development for Beacon, in which it holds a 38.4% ownership stake.
The VISTA study evaluated 85 male patients aged between 12 and 48 across two dosing cohorts, assessing improvements in low-luminance visual acuity.
The high-dose group achieved a responder rate of 31.0%, while the low-dose group recorded a responder rate of 24.1%. Both results were statistically significant against the trial’s primary endpoint, which had been endorsed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
According to Beacon, VISTA is the first pivotal trial in XLRP to meet its primary endpoint.
Following the results, Beacon plans to initiate pre-submission discussions with regulatory authorities internationally. The company intends to begin a rolling Biologics License Application (BLA) submission later in 2026.
Additional clinical data are scheduled to be presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting on 10 October.
Syncona’s 38.4% holding in Beacon was valued at £183.4 million as of 30 June 2026, before the announcement of the VISTA results.
The clinical outcome represents a development for one of Syncona’s portfolio investments, although any subsequent change in its carrying value has not been quantified in the information provided.
In market trading, Syncona shares advanced 7.4% and approached a 52-week high of 120.2 pence during the session. The stock’s 52-week low stood at 86.9 pence.
The increase occurred during a session in which the broader UK equity market declined, with both the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 finishing lower and financial stocks contributing to the losses.
Syncona is a life sciences investment company with a portfolio that includes Beacon Therapeutics. The latest clinical results provide additional data on laru-zova as Beacon prepares for regulatory discussions and its planned BLA submission.
The next scheduled developments include the presentation of further trial data in October and the initiation of the regulatory submission process later this year.
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