OKYO expands advisory board as urcosimod advances in neuropathic corneal pain
OKYO Pharma said it expanded its Scientific Advisory Board with the appointment of Marta Sacchetti as urcosimod advances in neuropathic corneal pain. The company said urcosimod has Fast Track designation and earlier received a single-patient expanded access IND.
OKYO Pharma Limited said on May 19, 2026 that it expanded its Scientific Advisory Board with the appointment of Marta Sacchetti, MD, PhD. The company said the appointment further enhances its global scientific network with premier European specialists as urcosimod remains the first investigational therapy to receive an IND specifically for the treatment of neuropathic corneal pain and has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The company said Dr. Sacchetti is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Link University in Rome, Italy and brings extensive clinical, research, and industry experience in cornea and ocular surface diseases. It said her previous experience as Global Head of Clinical Development, Ophthalmology & Neurotrophins at Dompé Farmaceutici will further strengthen the board’s global expertise in targeted nerve regeneration, modulating pain signaling, and advanced diagnostic insight. The company said her research focuses on degenerative, allergic, and neuroimmune diseases of the cornea and ocular surface.
Neuropathic corneal pain is a chronic, often debilitating condition characterized by severe pain and sensitivity of the eyes, and in some cases the face or head. The company said there are currently no FDA-approved therapies specifically for neuropathic corneal pain.
In late January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a single-patient expanded access investigational new drug for the use of urcosimod (0.05%) in a patient with neuropathic corneal pain. In February, the company announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 10,815,000 ordinary shares at an offering price of $1.85 per ordinary share, with gross proceeds expected to be approximately $20 million before deducting offering expenses and discounts. Assuming full exercise of the underwriter’s option to purchase an additional 1,622,250 ordinary shares, gross proceeds would be approximately $23 million before deducting offering expenses and discounts.