OKYO Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ:OKYO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapies for neuropathic corneal pain (NCP) and inflammatory eye diseases, announced that its abstract has been accepted for presentation at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2026 Annual Meeting, scheduled for May 3 to 7 in Denver, Colorado.
Chief scientific officer Dr Raj Patil is set to present the findings from OKYO’s Phase 2a proof-of-concept clinical trial of urcosimod, a preservative-free eye-drop therapy with dual pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory activity for NCP.
The presentation, titled “First-in-Human Study of Urcosimod to Treat Neuropathic Corneal Pain (NCP) Shows Clinically Meaningful Pain Reduction and Quality-of-Life Improvement in NCP Patients,” will detail the trial results.
According to OKYO, the Phase 2a study demonstrated reductions in pain as measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), improvements in patient-reported quality-of-life measures, and potential restoration of corneal nerve structure in NCP patients.
Neuropathic corneal pain is a chronic condition characterized by severe nerve-related eye pain without visible surface damage, and there are currently no FDA-approved treatments for the condition. Urcosimod has received FDA Fast Track designation for NCP and was the first therapy to obtain Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance for this indication.
Following the Phase 2a results, OKYO plans to advance urcosimod into a multicenter Phase 2b/3 trial with approximately 150 patients to further assess efficacy and safety, with initiation expected in the coming months.
“We are honored that our urcosimod data has been selected for presentation at ARVO 2026, one of the world’s leading forums for vision and ophthalmology research,” Patil said in a statement.
“These first-in-human results underscore urcosimod's potential to address a significant unmet need in NCP by providing meaningful pain relief and enhancing patients' quality of life. We look forward to sharing these findings with the scientific community and continuing to advance this promising therapy.”