Kiora's Phase 1 ABACUS Study of KIO-301 in Retinitis Pigmentosa Published in Nature Medicine; Phase 2 Trial Underway

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[{"type":"text","content":"Encinitas, California--(Newsfile Corp. - April 14, 2026) - Kiora Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KPRX) today announced the publication of the results from its Phase 1 ABACUS-1 study of KIO-301 in Nature Medicine. The publication adds clinical detail to a program aimed at restoring light responsiveness with a small molecule "photoswitch" in patients with the advanced inherited retinal disease, retinitis pigmentosa. The publication may be accessed at the following link - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04317-6","length":532,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"The open-label, first-in-human, dose-escalation trial assessed safety and feasibility in people with late-stage retinitis pigmentosa, irrespective of the underlying genetic mutation. KIO-301 was delivered intravitreally to 12 eyes in six participants. The primary endpoint was ocular and systemic safety over 30 days, with secondary and exploratory endpoints spanning functional vision testing, visual acuity, kinetic visual fields, functional MRI and participant-reported outcomes.","length":482,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""Publication of the KIO-301 Phase 1 findings in Nature Medicine is a meaningful milestone that brings early clinical support for a molecular photoswitch into the peer-reviewed literature," said Dr. Robert Casson, Principal Investigator of the study from the Royal Adelaide Hospital. "The results of the trial provide evidence of short-term ocular safety and feasibility, while underscoring that larger, controlled studies are still needed to determine whether any functional changes translate into reliable, everyday vision benefit."","length":553,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""Based on Phase 1 results, we initiated a randomized, controlled Phase 2 clinical trial, dubbed ABACUS-2," said Brian M. Strem, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Kiora. "The trial is designed to evaluate higher doses of KIO-301 with the goal of measuring, among other endpoints, functional visual improvements and comparing them to a control group, who will be eligible for KIO-301 treatment as part of an open-label extension. We appreciate the invaluable participation of patients, along with work by our team, investigators and the strategic and financial support from our development and commercializat...

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