Stoke brings STK-002 to AAO as evidence takes center stage. Stoke's STK-002 presentations will focus attention on the evidence for its investigational optic atrophy medicine, not establish a treatment breakthrough. Key facts. * Company and market snapshot: STOK: 24.36, currency and exchange unspecified in supplied data; down 3.79% as of October 6, 2026, 18:37:37 GMT. * Investigational medicine: STK-002, described by Stoke Therapeutics as an investigational treatment. * Intended condition: Autosomal dominant optic atrophy, abbreviated ADOA. * Scientific meeting: Presentations announced for the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2026 Annual Meeting. Stoke Therapeutics announced presentations of STK-002, its investigational medicine for autosomal dominant optic atrophy, at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2026 Annual Meeting. Stoke Therapeutics (STOK) announced presentations of STK-002, an investigational medicine for autosomal dominant optic atrophy, at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2026 Annual Meeting. The development brings the candidate before an eye-care audience, but the announcement alone does not establish whether it improves vision or changes the course of the disease. The distinction matters for patients, clinicians and investors. A conference presentation can provide a setting for evaluating research; it is not itself a clinical success or a regulatory decision. The central question is what the presentations will show about STK-002 and how much that evidence can support. Stoke's announcement identifies the medicine, the intended condition and the meeting, according to Business Wire. The available details do not specify presentation findings, study design, patient results or a regulatory timetable. Those limits make this a research-development story rather than a report of demonstrated treatment benefit. What the AAO announcement establishes. STK-002 is being developed for autosomal dominant optic atrophy, abbreviated ADOA. The company describes it as investigational, meaning it remains under study rather than being established by this announcement as an approved treatment. Nothing in the supplied information supports a claim about its effectiveness, safety profile or readiness for commercial use. The American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting provides a specialist setting for the presentations. That is relevant because research aimed at an eye condition needs scrutiny not only of its scientific rationale but also of how its findings relate to visual function and clinical practice. Still, the setting should not be confused with the strength of the evidence. The announcement does not identify whether the presentations concern laboratory work, patient observations or another type of research. It would therefore be premature to describe them as a clinical-trial readout or to assign the program a development stage. For now, the concrete development is that Stoke plans to present work on the candidate. The next useful information will be the content of that work: what was investigated, how it was measured and what conclusions the results can reasonably support. The evidence questions that matter for STK-002. Any assessment should begin by distinguishing a biological effect from a benefit that matters to patients. Evidence that an investigational medicine influences a disease-related process can be important, but it does not automatically show that people see better, retain vision longer or experience improved daily functioning. If patient findings are presented, the methods will matter alongside the results. Readers should look for an explanation of who was studied, what outcomes were measured and whether the research included a comparison that helps separate a treatment effect from other influences. These are evaluation questions, not details confirmed for STK-002. The observation period would also affect interpretation. A result measured soon after treatment may answer a different question from one tracked over a longer interval. Without that information, it is difficult to assess whether an apparent effect is sustained or whether the research addresses the disease's course. A result measured soon after treatment may answer a different question from one tracked over a longer interval. Safety requires its own examination. A favorable biological finding cannot substitute for information about unwanted effects, tolerability or the practical demands of treatment. The available announcement supplies no basis for concluding that STK-002 is safe, unsafe or preferable to another approach. The most useful presentation would connect the scientific claim to the evidence supporting it while making the limitations clear. That means separating observed results from hypotheses and explaining what further work would be needed before a treatment claim could be established. Shares fall, but the cause is not established. Stoke's shares were down 3.79% on the day at the last-trade timestamp of October 6, 2026, at 18:37:37 GMT, according to the supplied licensed market data. The quote is an intraday snapshot, not a closing result. The decline occurred while the supplied broad-market benchmarks were positive. The S&P 500 benchmark was up 0.65%, the Nasdaq 100 benchmark was up 0.57%, and the Dow benchmark was up 0.50%. That contrast shows Stoke moving against the broader market direction at the stated time. It does not establish why the shares fell. The information supplied contains no investor commentary, trading-volume context or presentation results that would link the move to a particular scientific judgment. Calling the decline a rejection of STK-002 would go beyond the evidence. Investors should keep the trading signal and the research signal separate. A share-price change captures market activity at a moment in time. The candidate's scientific value depends on evidence that the presentation announcement does not yet describe. Neither the conference appearance nor the stock decline resolves the other. What patients and investors should watch next. For patients and families, the immediate distinction is between research visibility and treatment availability. This announcement does not establish access to STK-002 or provide a basis for changing care. Decisions about an investigational medicine require clinical information and guidance beyond a conference notice. For clinicians, the substantive material will be the methods and findings behind the presentations. For investors, it will also matter whether those findings clarify the program's next development steps. The available information does not support a launch forecast, a revenue estimate or a prediction about regulatory action. The next assessment should therefore focus on the presentation materials and any supporting evidence Stoke makes available. Until then, STK-002 has a defined intended use and an announced scientific forum, but not a demonstrated outcome in the facts supplied here. The meeting's value will rest on how much uncertainty the research can actually reduce. Frequently asked questions. What did Stoke Therapeutics announce about STK-002? Stoke Therapeutics announced presentations of STK-002 at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2026 Annual Meeting. The company describes the candidate as an investigational medicine for autosomal dominant optic atrophy. The supplied announcement details do not identify specific findings, patient outcomes, study methods or a regulatory timetable. Is STK-002 an approved treatment for ADOA? The announcement describes STK-002 as investigational, not as an approved treatment for autosomal dominant optic atrophy. A conference presentation does not itself establish regulatory approval, clinical benefit or treatment availability. The supplied information provides no basis for patients to change care or assume that the medicine is commercially available. Does the announcement show that STK-002 improves vision? No vision results are included in the supplied facts. The announcement establishes that presentations are planned, not that STK-002 improves vision or changes disease progression. Assessing those claims would require the actual findings, the measurements used, the study methods and an explanation of the research's limitations. What should readers look for in the presentations? Readers should look for the type of research presented, the methods used and the outcomes measured. If patient results are included, comparison methods, follow-up and safety information will be important. A biological effect should be distinguished from a demonstrated benefit in vision or daily functioning; neither is established by the announcement. How were Stoke shares trading after the announcement? The supplied licensed market data showed STOK down 3.79% on the day as of October 6, 2026, at 18:37:37 GMT. This was an intraday snapshot, not a closing result. The available information does not establish that the presentation announcement caused the decline or reveal investors' reasoning. What does the AAO presentation mean for investors? The presentation offers an opportunity to examine research on STK-002, but its investment significance depends on the evidence disclosed. Investors should assess whether the findings clarify benefit, safety and further development needs. The announcement alone does not support a commercial forecast, a regulatory prediction or a valuation conclusion.

Stoke Therapeutics to present STK-002 data for Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy at AAO. Key Takeaways * Stoke Therapeutics will present data on investigational RNA medicine STK-002 in 2 presentations at AAO 2026 * The Phase 1 OSPREY study is progressing through dose escalation, with cohorts 3 and 4 expected to reach therapeutic dosing levels * Initial safety and efficacy data from the higher-dose cohorts are anticipated in the first half of 2027 Stoke Therapeutics announced that data for its investigational RNA medicine STK-002 will be featured in 2 presentations at the 2026 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting, taking place October 9-12 in New Orleans. STK-002 is being developed for the treatment of autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA), the most common inherited optic nerve disorder. The investigational therapy is designed to address the underlying cause of the disease by increasing OPA1 protein levels, with the goal of improving vision. There are currently no approved treatments for ADOA, according to Stoke. "ADOA causes progressive and irreversible vision loss in both eyes with 80% of patients symptomatic by age 10 and approximately half progressing to legal blindness," Barry Ticho, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of Stoke Therapeutics, said in a statement. "We are encouraged by our preclinical data as well as emerging findings from the field demonstrating that upregulation of OPA1 protein may have disease-modifying potential." STK-002 is currently being evaluated in the phase 1 OSPREY study in patients with ADOA. Dose escalation is ongoing, with the first 2 dose cohorts completed and the third cohort expected to be completed by the end of 2026. According to Stoke, cohorts 3 and 4 are expected to reach therapeutic dosing levels. Initial safety and efficacy findings from these higher-dose cohorts are anticipated during the first half of 2027. The data being presented at AAO 2026 provide translational evidence supporting the potential of increasing functional OPA1 protein as a disease-modifying approach in ADOA, according to the company. Details of the presentations are as follows: Title: OSPREY: First-in-Human Phase 1 Study of the RNA-Based Therapy STK-002 in Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy Podium Poster Date & Time: Sunday, October 11, 10:30-10:40 AM CT Presenting Author: Patrick Yu-Wai-Man, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Cambridge and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, and Honorary Consultant Neuro-ophthalmologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital, United Kingdom Poster Number: PO055 Title: RNA-Based OPA1 Upregulation in Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy: First-in-Human STK-002 Study in Mitochondrial Optic Neuropathy Poster Panel Discussion Date & Time: Sunday, October 11, 3:15-3:21 PM CT Presenting Author: Nancy J. Newman, M.D., Professor, Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology and Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine Poster Number: PO222