aibioKiora's chief development officer Eric Daniels to depart April 17, 2026
Tickers KPRX
Kiora said Eric J. Daniels, M.D., MBA, will leave his role as Chief Development Officer on April 17, 2026, and that the company has started a search for a successor. The company's ABACUS-2 and KLARITY trials continue.
Key facts
- Company
- Kiora Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: KPRX)
- News type
- Company Updates
- Primary source
- Kiora Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 8-K (2026-04-02)
Kiora Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: KPRX) announced on April 2, 2026 that Eric J. Daniels, M.D., MBA, will depart from his role as Chief Development Officer on April 17, 2026, to pursue other opportunities. The company has started a search for his successor. The announcement is Exhibit 99.1 to a Form 8-K. Brian M. Strem, Ph.D., Kiora's President and Chief Executive Officer, said: "Eric has made significant contributions to Kiora during his time with the Company."
Clinical programs during the transition
Kiora said its internal clinical development team continues to drive enrollment in the KIO-301 and KIO-104 studies, with support from its established network of outsourced CRO partners. The release says the Phase 2 ABACUS-2 trial of KIO-301 received approval to enroll the remaining patients in the 50µg dose cohort, after a planned safety review, as well as clearance to initiate the 100µg dose cohort.
In the Phase 2 KLARITY trial of KIO-104, all planned safety review checkpoints have been cleared, and patient enrollment is ongoing.
KIO-301 and the ABACUS-2 trial
Kiora's annual report on Form 10-K, filed March 25, 2026, describes the company as a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing therapies for retinal diseases. KIO-301 is a potential vision-restoring small molecule, a photoswitch, with an initial focus on patients with later stages of vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The annual report says KIO-301 has received an orphan drug designation (ODD) from the FDA.
According to the annual report, KIO-301 selectively enters bipolar and retinal ganglion cells that remain viable after photoreceptors die. Visible light changes the shape of the molecule, which alters the activity of the cell's voltage-gated ion channels and signals the brain that light is present. Kiora partnered KIO-301 with Théa Open Innovation (TOI), a sister company of Laboratories Théa, in January 2024. In October 2024, the company received regulatory approval to start the Phase 2 trial.
ABACUS-2 is a 36 patient, multicenter, double-masked, randomized, controlled, multiple dose study enrolling patients with ultra-low vision or no light perception, regardless of their underlying gene mutation.
KIO-104 and KIO-101
KIO-104 is a DHODH inhibitor formulated for intravitreal delivery and is in development for diabetic macular edema and posterior non-infectious uveitis. A Phase 1b/2a study reported in October 2022 showed that a single injection decreased intraocular inflammation and improved visual acuity for the duration of the study. In May 2025, Kiora received approval to start enrolling patients in a Phase 2 trial for KIO-104 in retinal inflammation. The KLARITY trial began enrolling in the second quarter of 2025, and dosing began in the third quarter of 2025.
The annual report also says Kiora is considering strategic partnering for KIO-101, an ophthalmic topical eye drop. Top-line safety and tolerability data from a Phase 1b study in patients with ocular surface inflammation were reported in the fourth quarter of 2021, with zero clinically significant laboratory findings.
The retinitis pigmentosa market
The annual report says more than 3.4 million patients globally are estimated to have an inherited retinal disease leading to significant or permanent vision loss, and that approximately 2.4 million people around the world have RP.
Financial position
The annual report's financial data show revenue of $0 for 2025, compared with $16.0 million for 2024. Research and development expense was $10.8 million in 2025 and $7.8 million in 2024. Kiora reported a net loss of $10.8 million for 2025, against net income of $3.6 million for 2024. Operating activities used $10.0 million of cash in 2025 and provided $8.6 million in 2024. Year-end cash and cash equivalents were $3.8 million for 2024, and year-end short-term investments were $23.0 million for 2024.
What comes next
The release gives no reason for the departure beyond "other opportunities", names no successor and gives no timeline for the search. Kiora reported no revenue for 2025 ($0), a net loss of $10.8 million, and $10.0 million of cash used in operations. ABACUS-2 is a small, 36 patient study, and the release reports no efficacy data from it, only safety review clearances. It says ABACUS-2 has approval to enroll the remaining patients in the 50µg cohort and clearance to start the 100µg cohort, and that KLARITY enrollment is ongoing.