Aura Biosciences said its Phase 3 COMPASS trial is moving close to full enrollment, with 86 patients enrolled as of May 4, 2026 and more than 25 additional patients already scheduled or identified for screening through May 2026.
The company reiterated its timetable for completing enrollment by mid-2026 and for reporting topline data in the second half of 2027.
At the same time, Aura named Natalie Holles chief executive officer and president, effective April 30, 2026, and also appointed her to the board. She replaces founder Elisabet de los Pinos, who stepped down from those roles on the same date.
Holles brings more than 25 years of leadership experience. Most recently, she served as chief executive officer of Third Harmonic Bio from August 2021 through December 2025. Before that, she was president and chief executive officer of Audentes Therapeutics, where she joined in 2015 as senior vice president and chief operating officer, became president and chief operating officer in 2018, and chief executive officer in 2020 before the company was acquired by Astellas Pharma in 2020.
Earlier in her career, Holles was senior vice president of corporate development at Hyperion Therapeutics, acquired by Horizon Pharma in 2015, and vice president of business development at Kai Pharmaceuticals, acquired by Amgen in 2012.
Aura’s lead candidate, belzupacap sarotalocan, or bel-sar, is being tested in COMPASS for early choroidal melanoma. The company said the study is the first registration-enabling trial in that indication and is evaluating bel-sar against a sham control. It also said the program has orphan drug designation from the FDA and European Medicines Agency, plus FDA fast track designation. The market has reacted to these announcements by moving the company's shares 0.14% to a price of $7.27. Check out the company's full 8-K submission here.
