In this episode, Surani speaks with George Magrath, CEO of Opus Genetics, about the realities of leading a public biotech company through a major strategic pivot and intense market scrutiny. Opus Genetics emerged from a 2024 reverse merger between Nasdaq-listed Ocuphire Pharma and a private gene therapy company focused on inherited retinal diseases. What followed was a turbulent stretch for the company, including investor skepticism, a proxy fight led by Ocuphire’s original founder, and a stock price that fell below $1.George discusses his background as an ophthalmologist turned biotech executive, how he first encountered Opus while overseeing ophthalmology trials at Lexitas, and why he ultimately pursued the merger. The conversation also explores the company’s gene therapy pipeline targeting LCA5 and bestrophinopathies, the role of patient advocacy in ultra-rare disease development, and what it takes to advance clinical programs while navigating the pressures of the public markets.The company has a current market cap of $306 million, share price $4.45 (4 March 2026).TimestampsFor any comments, questions or feedback you can connect directly with ⁠⁠Surani Fernando⁠⁠ on LinkedIn or email: [email protected]Title music composed by: Yrii Semchyshyn (Coma Media)