OKYO Pharma Appoints Ophthalmology Veteran Robert Dempsey as CEO to Advance Neuropathic Corneal Pain Treatment
核心洞察
OKYO Pharma has appointed Robert J. Dempsey as Chief Executive Officer, bringing over two decades of ophthalmology commercialization experience including leadership of blockbuster dry eye therapies Xiidra® and Restasis®.
Dempsey previously led the $3.4 billion upfront sale of Xiidra® to Novartis in 2019, one of only three ophthalmology deals in the past twenty years exceeding $1 billion upfront.
The leadership transition positions OKYO to advance urcosimod, its lead asset for neuropathic corneal pain (搜索), a severe ocular condition currently without FDA-approved therapy.
OKYO Pharma Limited has appointed industry veteran Robert J. Dempsey as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, as the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company positions itself to advance treatments for neuropathic corneal pain (搜索) (NCP), a severe ocular condition without FDA-approved therapy. Gary S. Jacob, Ph.D., will transition to Chief Development Officer while continuing to serve on the Board of Directors.
Proven Track Record in Ophthalmology Commercialization
Dempsey brings more than two decades of global ophthalmology experience, including drug development, commercialization, and value-creating strategic transactions. His appointment comes with significant credentials in the dry eye treatment space, having previously served as Group Vice President and Head of Global Ophthalmology at Shire prior to its acquisition by Takeda (搜索).
Most notably, Dempsey led the divestiture of Xiidra® (lifitegrast ophthalmic solution) 5%, which represented one of only three ophthalmology deals in the past twenty years with more than $1 billion upfront. The sale of Xiidra® to Novartis in 2019 included $3.4 billion upfront and up to an additional $1.9 billion in potential milestone payments. Xiidra® was the first FDA-approved therapy indicated for both the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease (搜索) and became one of the top-selling branded dry eye treatments globally.
"Robert has been directly involved in the commercialization of two of the most successful blockbuster dry eye therapies, Xiidra® and Restasis®, including leading the introduction of Xiidra®, and now brings that same execution and commercial discipline to advancing urcosimod toward becoming the first therapeutic for neuropathic corneal pain (搜索)," said Gabriele Cerrone, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors, OKYO Pharma.
Strategic Focus on Unmet Medical Need
The leadership transition ensures continuity in OKYO's strategic direction while positioning the company for its next phase of growth, particularly in advancing its lead asset, urcosimod, for the treatment of neuropathic corneal pain (搜索) and other ocular inflammatory disorders.
NCP is a condition that causes severe pain and sensitivity of the eyes, face, or head. The exact cause of NCP is unknown but is thought to result from nerve damage to the cornea combined with inflammation. The condition can exhibit as a severe, chronic, debilitating condition in patients suffering from various ophthalmic conditions and is presently treated with limited success by various topical and systemic treatments in an off-label fashion.
"The company's scientific foundation and focus on addressing significant unmet needs in neuropathic corneal pain (搜索) and inflammatory eye diseases (搜索) represent meaningful opportunities to impact the lives of patients," said Dempsey. "I look forward to leveraging my experience driving global ophthalmology programs and leading organizations through major growth and value inflection points to accelerate urcosimod, execute with discipline, and broaden the company's strategic potential."
Urcosimod Development Progress
Urcosimod is a lipid conjugated chemerin peptide agonist of the ChemR23 (搜索) G-protein coupled receptor, typically found on immune cells of the eye responsible for the inflammatory response, as well as on neurons and glial cells in the dorsal root ganglion. The drug has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing activities in mouse models of both dry eye disease (搜索) and corneal neuropathic pain.
The compound showed clear statistical significance in multiple endpoints in an earlier 240-patient Phase 2, multi-center, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial to treat dry eye disease (搜索). More recently, OKYO announced positive data on NCP pain reduction in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked Phase 2 trial involving 18 neuropathic corneal pain (搜索) patients.
OKYO recently completed this successful Phase 2 trial of urcosimod in patients with NCP and is currently planning a second larger, multicenter trial of urcosimod in NCP patients that is planned to start in Q1 2026.
Leadership Transition and Future Outlook
Dr. Jacob, who led OKYO for the past four years, expressed confidence in the transition: "Robert's appointment as CEO is a seminal event for our company. His extraordinary record of success in the ophthalmic field, and broad experience in all facets of drug development and commercialization will be invaluable as we move forward with further development of urcosimod to treat NCP and other potential indications."
The Board of Directors has unanimously approved the transition, which reflects OKYO's commitment to advancing innovative therapies for neuropathic corneal pain (搜索) and inflammatory eye diseases (搜索). With Dempsey's extensive network in the eye care community and proven track record in launching category-defining therapies, OKYO is positioned to potentially bring the first FDA-approved treatment for neuropathic corneal pain to market.