Kiora Pharmaceuticals Reports Additional Clinical Data for KIO-301 Showing a Statistically Significant Increase in Brain Activity in the Visual Cortex in Patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Previously released ABACUS-1 clinical trial results reported KIO-301, a small molecule photoswitch, is safe, tolerable, and improved vision in patients with late-stage retinitis pigmentosa.

• Additional analysis of functional MRI data demonstrated a statistically significant increase in neural activity over baseline within the brain's visual processing center.

• The increase in observed brain activity was time-dependent and demonstrated concordance with previously reported improvements in visual field, visual acuity, and functional vision.

Encinitas, California--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2024) - Kiora Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: KPRX), ("Kiora" or the "Company") announced additional data from ABACUS-1, the Phase I/II clinical trial in patients with retinitis pigmentosa showing KIO-301 significantly increased brain activity, specifically in the visual cortex, relative to baseline, as assessed by functional MRI (fMRI). This standard method of measuring visual cortex activity, in response to visual stimuli, is performed by assessing the quantitative change in voxels, a three-dimensional equivalent of a pixel at each visit. KIO-301 is a small molecule photoswitch providing light sensitivity to retinal cells capable of transmitting neural signals to the brain following the loss of native photoreceptors (rods and cones).

The results were presented May 5, 2024 by Professor Robert James Casson, DPhil, Head of the Ophthalmic Research Lab at The University of Adelaide, at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting in Seattle, WA. Additional key findings include the following:

• A statistically significant increase in visual cortex activity from baseline at all timepoints assessed (1574.0 ± 689.7 voxels at d2, 1061.8 ± 632.1 voxels at d14, 1110.8 ± 478.4 voxels at d28, p