OKYO Pharma Secures Funding to Advance Urcosimod for Neuropathic Corneal Pain
OKYO Pharma announced it has received $1.9 million in non-dilutive funding to accelerate the clinical development of urcosimod, the company’s lead candidate for treating Neuropathic Corneal Pain (NCP)
“Neuropathic Corneal Pain is a devastating and underdiagnosed condition with no approved therapies. These funds allow us to aggressively pursue our mission of bringing urcosimod to patients who desperately need relief, without diluting shareholder value. It’s an exciting step forward for our company and for the field of ocular pain treatment," said Gary S. Jacob, PhD, CEO of OKYO.
OKYO said the investment will be strategically directed toward achieving key clinical milestones, expanding research and development activities, and enhancing regulatory readiness for urcosimod.
Neuropathic Corneal Pain is an underdiagnosed ocular condition characterized by persistent pain and hypersensitivity, often unrelated to visible ocular surface abnormalities. It is thought to stem from corneal nerve damage and inflammation. No FDA-approved treatments are currently available. Management strategies typically involve off-label use of topical and systemic medications, with varying degrees of efficacy.
Formerly known as OK-101, urcosimod is a lipid-conjugated chemerin peptide designed to act as an agonist of the ChemR23 G-protein coupled receptor. This receptor is present on immune cells and sensory neurons involved in inflammatory and neuropathic processes within the eye.
According to OKYO, key features of urcosimod include:
Long-acting Design: Utilizes membrane-anchored peptide technology with a lipid anchor to resist ocular washout and improve therapeutic residence
Dual Action: Demonstrates both anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in preclinical models
Clinical Promise: Achieved statistically significant outcomes in multiple endpoints in a completed Phase 2 trial for dry eye disease, and recently concluded a double-masked, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial for NCP