Insider Trading February 17, 2026

Ocular Therapeutix CEO Sells $1.13M in Stock as Company Advances AXPAXLI Program

Pravin Dugel executed tax-related share sales while the company reported positive Phase 3 results and management changes ahead of a potential NDA filing

By Jordan Park OCUL
Ocular Therapeutix CEO Sells $1.13M in Stock as Company Advances AXPAXLI Program
OCUL

Ocular Therapeutix Executive Chairman, President and CEO Pravin Dugel sold 124,882 shares on February 12, 2026, in a transaction totaling $1.13 million to satisfy tax obligations tied to restricted stock unit vesting. The company also disclosed a successful Phase 3 superiority outcome for its wet age-related macular degeneration candidate AXPAXLI, management appointments including an interim CFO and a new Global Chief Commercial Officer, and continued endorsement from RBC Capital with an Outperform rating and a $30.00 price target.

Key Points

  • CEO Pravin Dugel sold 124,882 shares on February 12, 2026, at a weighted average price of $9.04, totaling $1.13 million, to cover tax obligations from restricted stock unit vesting.
  • AXPAXLI met the primary endpoint in a Phase 3 superiority trial, with 74.1% of treated patients maintaining vision at Week 36 versus 55.8% for aflibercept, a statistically significant result.
  • Corporate leadership adjustments include Jason Robins as interim CFO during Donald Notman's medical leave and David W. Robinson named Global Chief Commercial Officer; RBC Capital reiterated an Outperform rating with a $30.00 price target.

Ocular Therapeutix announced a stock sale by its top executive and a series of corporate updates as the company progresses toward regulatory submission for its investigational wet age-related macular degeneration therapy.

According to a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Pravin Dugel - who serves as Executive Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ocular Therapeutix (NASDAQ: OCUL) - sold 124,882 shares of the companys common stock on February 12, 2026. The shares were disposed of at a weighted average price of $9.04, producing gross proceeds of approximately $1.13 million.

The filing specifies that the sales occurred in multiple transactions with execution prices ranging from $8.99 to $9.085 per share. The company said the disposition was made to cover tax obligations arising from the vesting of restricted stock units.

Following the transaction, Dugel directly holds 3,033,078 shares of Ocular Therapeutix and retains an indirect interest in an additional 300,115 shares through the Pravin Dugel 2024 Irrevocable Trust.


Clinical and corporate developments

Separately, Ocular Therapeutix reported positive pivotal data for AXPAXLI, its investigational treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration. In a Phase 3 superiority trial, 74.1% of patients treated with AXPAXLI maintained vision at Week 36 versus 55.8% of patients treated with the current standard, aflibercept. The company described the difference as statistically significant.

Ocular Therapeutix said it is advancing its New Drug Application timeline for AXPAXLI as a result of the trial outcome.

On the corporate front, the company named Jason Robins as interim Chief Financial Officer while Donald Notman is on medical leave. In addition, David W. Robinson has been appointed Global Chief Commercial Officer to support a potential AXPAXLI launch. Robinsons background includes serving as Chief Marketing Officer for Global Ophthalmology at Merck and participating in the commercial launch of EYLEA at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

RBC Capital has reiterated an Outperform rating on Ocular Therapeutix and maintained a $30.00 price target, noting these developments amid a 28% year-to-date decline in the companys share price.


Context and next steps

The insider sale was disclosed as a tax-driven disposition tied to vested equity rather than an open-market directional trade, and the company continues to prepare regulatory filings for AXPAXLI following the Phase 3 result. Management changes are positioned to support potential commercialization if regulatory approval and subsequent launch proceed according to the companys timeline.

Risks

  • Insider sale was executed to satisfy tax obligations related to vested restricted stock units, which may limit its informational value for interpreting executive sentiment - impacts the financial markets and corporate governance sectors.
  • Management changes during a critical development and regulatory phase introduce execution risk around potential commercial launch and regulatory filings - impacts biotech and healthcare commercialization planning.
  • While the Phase 3 trial showed a statistically significant benefit, ongoing regulatory review and the timing of the New Drug Application remain uncertain - impacts investors in biotech and the ophthalmology therapeutics market.

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