OKYO Pharma Ltd (NASDAQ:OKYO) said on Wednesday it observed improvements in quality-of-life measures in patients treated with its experimental therapy urcosimod in a mid-stage study for neuropathic corneal pain (NCP), a chronic eye condition with no approved treatments.
The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company said the findings stem from an exploratory analysis of patient-reported outcomes in its Phase 2a trial and will be presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
The randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study evaluated 12 patients, with six receiving urcosimod and six given placebo over a 12-week period.
Patients treated with urcosimod showed greater improvements in several quality-of-life measures compared with placebo, including emotional well-being and daily functioning, the company said.
Participants reported a mean improvement of 4.5 points in their ability to enjoy life and relationships, compared with no change in the placebo group. Measures of mood improved by 1.5 points for patients on the therapy versus 0.5 points for placebo, while time spent thinking about eye pain declined by 3.0 points, compared with a 1.5-point reduction in the control group.
The company said these secondary endpoints build on earlier results from the study showing meaningful reductions in pain based on the Visual Analogue Scale.
Neuropathic corneal pain is a severe and often debilitating condition with no therapies approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, representing a significant unmet medical need.
OKYO said the new data suggest urcosimod could offer broader benefits beyond pain relief, including improvements in emotional well-being and overall quality of life.
The company plans to advance the therapy into larger confirmatory studies, including a multi-center Phase 2b/3 trial, to further evaluate its efficacy and safety.