LONDON and NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OKYO Pharma Limited (NASDAQ: OKYO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for the treatment of neuropathic corneal pain, a severe ocular condition without an FDA approved therapy, and for inflammatory eye diseases, announced that Gary S. Jacob, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of OKYO Pharma, will present at the 33rd Annual BIO-Europe partnering conference in Vienna, Austria. BIO-Europe, one of the largest and most imp ...

LONDON and NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OKYO Pharma Limited (NASDAQ: OKYO), an ophthalmology-focused bio-pharmaceutical company which is developing urcosimod to treat neuropathic corneal pain (NCP), an ocular condition associated with chronic and often severe nerve-related pain but without an FDA-approved therapy, today announced plans for the next stage of clinical development for its lead drug candidate, urcosimod, to treat neuropathic corneal pain (NCP). The announcement follows the relea ...

Core Insights - OKYO Pharma Limited announced positive top-line data from an 18-patient Phase 2 trial of urcosimod for treating neuropathic corneal pain (NCP), a condition with no FDA-approved therapy [1][8] - The trial demonstrated significant pain reduction in patients treated with urcosimod compared to placebo, indicating its potential effectiveness [4][5] Trial Details - The Phase 2 trial was a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study conducted at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA, led by Dr. Pedram Hamrah [2][12] - The primary endpoint was the change in mean pain scores from baseline to the end of treatment, measured by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) [3] Results Summary - In the per-protocol population, the mean pain score change was 5.5 for the 0.05% urcosimod group versus 2.75 for the placebo group, showing a delta difference of 2.75 [4] - 75% of patients in the urcosimod group achieved over 80% improvement in pain severity, with significant reductions observed as early as Week 4 [8] - In the intent-to-treat population, 67% of patients in the urcosimod group showed greater than 50% improvement in pain compared to 33% in the placebo group [5] Statistical Significance - A statistically significant reduction in mean pain scores was observed in the urcosimod group (p-value = 0.025), while the placebo group also showed improvement (p-value = 0.035) [4][8] - The drug-effect size for urcosimod compared to placebo at week 12 demonstrated a strong treatment effect (Cohen-d value > 1.2) [6] Future Plans - Following the trial, OKYO plans to meet with the FDA to discuss next steps for urcosimod, which has received Fast Track designation for treating NCP [8] - The company is also considering the "Expanded Access" program for patients who completed the trial [9] About Urcosimod - Urcosimod is a lipid conjugated chemerin peptide agonist designed to treat ocular diseases, showing anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing activities in preclinical models [13] - The drug has previously shown efficacy in a Phase 2 trial for dry eye disease, indicating its potential across multiple ocular conditions [10]

Core Insights - OKYO Pharma Limited is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for neuropathic corneal pain and inflammatory eye diseases, with its lead candidate being urcosimod [1][4] Group 1: Presentation Information - Dr. Gary S. Jacob, CEO of OKYO Pharma, will present at the Bio International Convention 2025 in Boston, covering the clinical development of urcosimod for neuropathic corneal pain [2] - The convention will take place from June 16 to June 19, 2025, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center [2] Group 2: Neuropathic Corneal Pain (NCP) - NCP is characterized by severe pain and sensitivity in the eyes, face, or head, often resulting from nerve damage and inflammation [2] - Current treatments for NCP are limited and primarily off-label, indicating a significant unmet medical need [2] Group 3: Urcosimod Development - Urcosimod, previously known as OK-101, is a lipid-conjugated chemerin peptide agonist targeting the ChemR23 receptor, involved in the inflammatory response [3] - The drug has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing effects in preclinical models and is designed to enhance its residence time in the ocular environment [3] - Urcosimod has shown statistical significance in a Phase 2 trial for dry eye disease and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 trial for neuropathic corneal pain [3] Group 4: Company Overview - OKYO Pharma is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market and is dedicated to discovering and developing novel molecules for treating ocular diseases [4] - The company is actively pursuing clinical trials for urcosimod in both dry eye disease and neuropathic corneal pain [4]

Core Viewpoint - OKYO Pharma Limited is advancing its lead clinical drug candidate, urcosimod, for the treatment of neuropathic corneal pain, a condition currently lacking FDA-approved therapies, and will present its development at an upcoming summit [1][2]. Company Overview - OKYO Pharma Limited is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies for neuropathic corneal pain and dry eye disease, with its shares traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market [4]. Presentation Details - Dr. Gary S. Jacob, CEO of OKYO Pharma, will present on May 22, 2025, at the 4th Annual GPCRs-Targeted Drug Discovery Summit in Boston, MA, discussing the clinical development of urcosimod targeting CMKLR1 (ChemR23) for neuropathic corneal pain [2]. Neuropathic Corneal Pain (NCP) - NCP is characterized by severe pain and sensitivity in the eyes, face, or head, often resulting from nerve damage and inflammation, and is currently treated with limited success through off-label topical and systemic treatments [2]. Urcosimod Development - Urcosimod, a lipid-conjugated chemerin peptide agonist, is designed to enhance the residence time in the ocular environment and has shown anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing effects in preclinical models [3]. - The drug has demonstrated statistical significance in multiple endpoints in a Phase 2 trial for dry eye disease and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 trial for neuropathic corneal pain [3].