Business Description

Overview We are a biotechnology company committed to discovering and developing product candidates to selectively modulate the Wnt pathway, a critical mediator of tissue repair. Our current strategic focus is ophthalmology, where Wnt signaling plays a central role in retinal vascular integrity, barrier function, and tissue maintenance. We are located in South San Francisco, California. Our mission is to transform the treatment of serious ophthalmic disease by fully exploiting the Wnt pathway. Building upon the seminal work of our founders and scientific advisors who discovered the Wnt gene and key regulators of the Wnt pathway, we have made breakthrough discoveries that we believe will overcome previous limitations in harnessing the potential of Wnt biology in a tissue-selective manner. These breakthroughs enable us to rapidly and flexibly design tissue-targeted therapeutics that modulate Wnt signaling and form the foundation of our ophthalmology portfolio and research programs, which are designed to restore tissue structure and function in serious eye diseases with high unmet medical need. Our lead product candidates are multi-specific, antibody-based therapeutics that mimic the roles of naturally occurring Wnt proteins, which are involved in activation and enhancement of the Wnt pathway. Wnt signaling is essential in tissue maintenance and regeneration throughout the body. Our current development efforts are focused on ophthalmology, where the biology of the Wnt pathway is clinically validated and localized delivery enables controlled therapeutic modulation. We believe our approach has the potential to change the treatment paradigm for ophthalmic disease and substantially impact patient outcomes. Our strategy is to exploit the full potential of Wnt signaling by identifying disease states responsive to Wnt modulation, designing tissue-selective therapeutics, evaluating mechanisms complementary to Wnt signaling, and advancing candidates into clinical development in targeted ophthalmic indications with high unmet need. Our unique approach and platform technologies have led to the discovery and advancement of multiple product candidates. We believe that ophthalmology indications are particularly well-suited for Wnt modulating therapeutics due to the combination of strong genetic and biologic validation and the need for approaches to restore tissue structure and function. SZN-8141 for Retinal Diseases We are developing SZN-8141 for the treatment of diabetic macular edema, or DME, and neovascular age-related macular degeneration, or wet AMD. SZN-8141 combines Frizzled 4, or Fzd4, agonism and vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, antagonism and has the potential to provide benefits over treatment with single agents. The current standard of care for diabetic retinopathy (including DME), retinal vein occlusion and wet AMD is intravitreal administration of anti-VEGF therapies, including monotherapies and dual-pathway agents targeting VEGF and angiopoietin-2, or Ang-2. In addition, MK-3000, a Fzd4 monotherapy, has demonstrated proof of concept in DME in clinical trials. We believe SZN-8141 has the potential to treat multiple retinopathy indications and be differentiated from existing therapies. Data generated in preclinical models of retinopathy demonstrated that SZN-8141 stimulated Wnt signaling and induced normal retinal vessel regrowth while suppressing pathological vessel growth. We anticipate submitting an IND for SZN-8141 in the second half of 2026. SZN-8143 for Retinal Diseases We are developing SZN-8143 for the treatment of DME, wet AMD, and uveitic macular edema, or UME. SZN-8143 combines Fzd4 agonism, VEGF antagonism, and interleukin-6, or IL-6, antagonism and may have benefits over single agents. The current standard of care for diabetic retinopathy (including DME), retinal vein occlusion and wet AMD is intravitreal administration of anti-VEGF therapies, including monotherapies and dual-pathway agents targeting VEGF and Ang-2. In addition, MK-3000, a Fzd4 monotherapy, has demonstrated proof of concept in DME in clinical trials. We believe SZN-8143 has the potential to treat multiple retinopathy indications and be differentiated from existing therapies. Data generated in preclinical models of retinopathy demonstrated that SZN-8143 stimulated Wnt signaling and induced normal retinal vessel regrowth while suppressing pathological vessel growth.…