Kiora Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office has issued a new patent (US-12,472,263) covering additional novel formulations within the KIO-100 family of compounds. The patent enables new delivery options and expands the therapeutic potential of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) used in KIO-104.

The newly granted patent specifically protects a novel formulation of the KIO-104 API, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory small-molecule inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). Kiora is currently screening and dosing patients in a phase 2 clinical trial, KLARITY, evaluating KIO-104 as a treatment for retinal inflammation.

Brian M. Strem, PhD, president and chief executive officer of Kiora Pharmaceuticals, noted that DHODH inhibitors hold strong promise in slowing, stopping, or reversing inflammatory-driven vision loss, particularly in cases where steroids or biologics offer limited benefit. He highlighted that KIO-104 has already demonstrated clinical proof-of-concept in a phase 1 trial for non-infectious uveitis, and the phase 2 study aims to assess higher doses in multiple retinal inflammatory conditions, including posterior non-infectious uveitis and diabetic macular edema.

The multicenter KLARITY study will evaluate KIO-104 in up to 28 patients with macular edema, a condition characterized by fluid accumulation behind the retina due to inflammation, often leading to visual impairment and permanent retinal scarring. As a potent small molecule delivered locally to the retina, KIO-104 has the potential to offer an alternative to steroid-based or systemic anti-inflammatory treatments.

Kiora Pharmaceuticals develops advanced therapies targeting the underlying pathways of retinal diseases, using innovative small molecules designed to slow, halt, or restore vision loss.