OKYO Pharma Strengthens World Class Leadership Team with Appointment of Flavio Mantelli, MD, PhD as Chief Medical Officer

Core Insights - OKYO Pharma Limited has appointed Dr. Flavio Mantelli as Chief Medical Officer, who has extensive experience in ocular surface drug development and previously led the successful launch of Oxervate® [1][2][4] Company Overview - OKYO Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for neuropathic corneal pain (NCP) and inflammatory eye diseases, with shares traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market [14] - The company recently completed a successful Phase 2 trial of its drug urcosimod for NCP and plans to initiate a Phase 2b/3 study involving approximately 150 subjects in the first half of 2026 [14] Leadership and Strategy - Dr. Mantelli will oversee the clinical development strategy for urcosimod, aiming to advance it through planned clinical trials and leverage its FDA Fast Track designation [3][12] - The appointment of Dr. Mantelli follows the recent hiring of CEO Robert Dempsey, strengthening the leadership team in ophthalmology [4][12] Product Development - Urcosimod is a lipid-conjugated chemerin peptide agonist that has shown anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing effects in preclinical models for dry eye disease and neuropathic corneal pain [9] - There are currently no FDA-approved therapies specifically for NCP, highlighting the unmet medical need that urcosimod aims to address [8] Market Context - Neuropathic corneal pain is a chronic condition characterized by severe eye pain and sensitivity, often resulting from damage to corneal sensory nerves, and is inadequately treated with existing medications [8]