Acucela to Present at the 12th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Acucela, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing new treatments for blinding eye diseases, announced today that Ryo Kubota, M.D., Ph.D., Acucela’s chairman, president and chief executive officer, is scheduled to present at the 12^th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference at 9:00 a.m. EST on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York. The conference will provide a forum to discuss breakthrough therapeutic developments and issues that affect the biotech industry.

“We are excited to be selected to present at this year's BIO CEO & Investor Conference”

“We are excited to be selected to present at this year's BIO CEO & Investor Conference,” stated Dr. Kubota. “The conference provides an excellent opportunity to share ideas with leading biotech companies and investors and discuss emerging therapies. We look forward to providing an update on our Visual Cycle Modulator (VCM) technology, including ACU-4429, which just entered Phase 2 clinical trials, and discussing our clinical efforts to develop innovative treatments to prevent vision loss.”

About the BIO CEO & Investor Conference

Now in its twelfth year, the BIO CEO & Investor Conference 2010 is the largest investor conference focused on the biotechnology industry. The conference provides a forum for public and private equity investors, research analysts, investment bankers and senior-level industry executives to learn about and discuss investment trends and investment opportunities in the biotechnology industry. This year’s conference will feature corporate presentations from more than 120 companies, workshops featuring leading experts on specific therapeutic and technology topics, plenary and panel sessions on timely business issues and industry trends, many opportunities to schedule one-on-one meetings, as well as numerous networking opportunities. For more information, visit www.ceo.bio.org.

About Acucela Inc.

Acucela Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on leveraging promising science in visual cycle modulation (VCM) to develop new methods for treating blinding eye diseases that affect tens of millions of people worldwide. The company’s orally-delivered VCM therapies, which selectively target cells within the retina to protect visual acuity, have the potential to be used to treat several devastating eye diseases, including dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinopathy of prematurity, Stargardt disease and diabetic retinopathy. Acucela is also developing, with Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Rebamipide ophthalmic suspension, a product candidate for dry eye. For more information, please visit www.Acucela.com.