At a Glance
- Company: OKYO Pharma Limited
- Location: London, UK and New York, NY, USA
- Headline: Leadership transition; urcosimod heading into a larger, multicentre NCP trial starting Q1 2026
- Focus area: Neuropathic corneal pain and inflammatory eye diseases; urcosimod (OK‑101), a ChemR23 agonist
- Next steps: Dempsey to lead commercial and strategic build‑out while Dr Gary Jacob moves to Chief Development Officer to progress urcosimod
What happened?
OKYO Pharma has appointed Robert J. Dempsey as Chief Executive Officer and executive Board member, effective immediately, with former CEO Gary S. Jacob, PhD, transitioning to Chief Development Officer while remaining on the Board. The Board unanimously approved the move, which is positioned as a strategic shift to prepare the company for its next phase of growth around lead asset urcosimod for neuropathic corneal pain (NCP).
Why does it matter?
NCP is a severe, chronic ocular pain condition with no FDA‑approved therapies, and current management relies on off‑label topical and systemic treatments with limited efficacy. OKYO recently reported positive phase 2 data for topical urcosimod, showing robust reductions in pain scores and high responder rates, and is planning a larger multicentre trial starting in Q1 2026, making commercial and late‑stage development expertise particularly important.
Who’s behind it?
Dempsey brings more than two decades of global ophthalmology experience, including leadership of Shire’s ophthalmology franchise where he architected and led the launch of Xiidra, later sold to Novartis in a deal with $3.4 billion upfront and up to $1.9 billion in milestones, and previously held commercial oversight for Restasis. He has also served as CEO and board member across multiple ophthalmic companies and co‑founded the Holland Foundation for Sight Restoration, reflecting a broad network and track record in ocular surface diseases.
How was it achieved?
Under the new structure, Jacob continues to guide clinical and regulatory strategy as Chief Development Officer, preserving continuity in urcosimod’s development while Dempsey focuses on corporate strategy, financing, and eventual commercialization pathways. The company highlights Dempsey’s experience in executing value‑creating transactions and scaling category‑defining dry eye products as directly relevant to positioning urcosimod as a first‑in‑class NCP therapy.
What’s next?
OKYO plans to initiate a larger, multicentre phase 2/3‑style trial of urcosimod in NCP patients in early 2026, building on earlier 18‑patient phase 2 results that showed significant pain reduction and favourable corneal nerve findings. Under Dempsey’s leadership, the company is expected to refine its regulatory and commercial strategy for NCP and explore additional ocular inflammatory indications where ChemR23‑targeted modulation could be beneficial.