OKYO Pharma Announces Randomized Segment Now Underway in Phase 2 Clinical Trial of Topical Ocular OK-101 for Dry Eye Disease

• Trial designed with a two-week run-in period to reduce the well-known placebo effect in trials involving pain component
• Top-line data from trial anticipated in Q4, 2023

LONDON and NEW YORK, June 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OKYO Pharma Limited (NASDAQ: OKYO), an ophthalmology-focused bio-pharmaceutical company which is developing OK-101 to treat dry eye disease (DED) to address the significant unmet need in this multi-billion-dollar market, is pleased to announce that patients are now being dosed in the randomized portion of the phase 2, multi-center, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial of topical ocular OK-101 to treat DED, following the two-week placebo run-in period intended to minimize the placebo effect.

“A two-week placebo run-in period involving topical ocular dosing of placebo is an innovative approach used by our clinical development partner, Ora Inc. This design feature reduces the well-known placebo effect for ocular trials such as ours that include an ocular discomfort readout,” said Gary S. Jacob, Ph.D., CEO of OKYO Pharma. “This run-in period enables us to evaluate potential patients for the placebo effect during the run-in screening period, improving patient selection for the randomized treatment portion of the trial. Importantly, this first clinical study is also designed to include two pre-specified primary efficacy endpoints which are the hallmark of phase 3 registration trials, and one of the efficacy endpoints deals specifically with ocular discomfort.”

Dry eye disease is a common condition that occurs when one’s tears are unable to adequately lubricate the eyes. This condition affects approximately 49 million people in the U.S. alone and has been a difficult one to positively diagnose and to treat due to the multifactorial nature of the condition. A number of contributing factors can lead to this condition, including age, sex, certain medical conditions, reduced tear production and tear film dysfunction. Tear film instability typically leads to inflammation and damage to the ocular surface.

About the Phase 2 Trial Design
This phase 2, multi-center, randomized, double–blinded, placebo-controlled study is planned to enroll approximately 240 subjects with DED who will be randomly divided into 3 cohorts of 80 patients. Participants will be selected based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The three cohorts will be comprised of one cohort treated with placebo, a second cohort treated with 0.05% OK-101, and the third cohort receiving 0.1% OK-101. The drug and placebo will be administered in both eyes twice daily for 12 weeks. The duration of a patient’s treatment will be approximately 14 weeks, including a 2-week run-in period and 12 weeks of treatment. The protocol for the study includes two prespecified primary endpoints and a number of secondary endpoints. Further details regarding the specifics of the trial are posted on the clinicaltrials.gov public website (clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT05759208 or https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=Okyo&cond=Dry+Eye+Syndromes).

About OKYO
OKYO Pharma Limited (NASDAQ: OKYO) is a life sciences company admitted to listing on the NASDAQ capital market. OKYO is focusing on the discovery and development of novel molecules to treat inflammatory dry eye diseases and chronic pain. For further information, please visit www.okyopharma.com.

About OK-101
OK-101 is a lipid conjugated chemerin peptide agonist of the ChemR23 G-protein coupled receptor which is typically found on immune cells of the eye responsible for the inflammatory response. OK-101 was developed using a membrane-anchored-peptide (MAP) technology to produce a novel long-acting drug candidate for treating dry eye disease. OK-101 has been shown to produce anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing activities in mouse models of dry eye disease and corneal neuropathic pain; and is designed to combat washout through the inclusion of the lipid ‘anchor’ contained in the candidate drug molecule to enhance the residence time of OK-101 within the ocular environment.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, and projections about its industry; its beliefs; and assumptions. Words such as 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control, are difficult to predict, and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. The Company cautions security holders and prospective security holders not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the view of the Company only as of the date of this announcement. The forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. The Company will not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances, or unanticipated events occurring after the date of this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory authority.
For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.okyopharma.com