OKYO Pharma Announces Director Acquires Shares
Rhea-AI Summary
OKYO Pharma (NASDAQ: OKYO) said on March 19, 2026 that Non-Executive Director John Brancaccio purchased 5,000 ordinary shares on NASDAQ at $1.61 per share, increasing his total holding to 31,201 shares.
The disclosure reflects an insider purchase by a director in the company developing therapies for neuropathic corneal pain and inflammatory eye diseases.
Positive
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Negative
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Key Figures
Previous Acquisition Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 15 | Insider share purchase | Positive | -8.3% | Chairman-linked entity acquired 24,551 shares, boosting total holdings above 10.5M. |
| Dec 03 | Insider share purchase | Positive | -5.8% | Chairman-linked entity bought 27,051 shares, increasing ownership to 10,491,746 shares. |
| Nov 21 | Insider share purchase | Positive | +11.0% | Chairman-linked entity acquired 82,018 shares, raising stake to 10,464,695 shares. |
| Oct 16 | Insider share purchase | Positive | +1.9% | Chairman-linked entity purchased 210,000 shares, lifting total to 10,382,677. |
| Jan 31 | Insider share purchases | Positive | -3.6% | CEO and Chairman-related entity bought 30,000 shares combined, increasing large insider stake. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Insider share acquisitions have produced mixed reactions, with 3 past events followed by declines and 2 by gains, despite consistently positive insider-buy signals.
Over the past year, OKYO has repeatedly reported insider share acquisitions, mainly by its Chairman and other executives, under the acquisition tag. These purchases ranged from tens of thousands to over 200,000 shares and often highlighted continued commitment to the neuropathic corneal pain and dry eye pipeline. Market reactions were inconsistent, sometimes negative despite insider buying. Today’s director purchase adds to this pattern of ongoing insider accumulation against a backdrop of active clinical development.
Key Terms
neuropathic corneal pain medical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
LONDON and NEW YORK, March 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OKYO Pharma Limited (NASDAQ: OKYO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing investigational therapies for the treatment of neuropathic corneal pain (NCP) and for inflammatory eye diseases, today announced it has been informed that John Brancaccio, Non-Executive Director, has acquired 5,000 of the Company’s ordinary shares on NASDAQ at
About Urcosimod (formerly called OK-101)
Urcosimod is a lipid conjugated chemerin peptide agonist of the ChemR23 G-protein coupled receptor which is typically found on immune cells of the eye responsible for the inflammatory response, as well as on neurons and glial cells in the dorsal root ganglion. Urcosimod has been shown to produce anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing activities in a mouse model of dry eye disease and in a neuropathic corneal pain mouse model, respectively. OKYO recently announced positive data on NCP pain reduction in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked Phase 2a trial involving 18 neuropathic corneal pain subjects. Urcosimod has shown significant pain reduction in an earlier 240 subject Phase 2, multi-center, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial in DED, which supports the development rationale in NCP.
About OKYO Pharma
OKYO Pharma Limited (Nasdaq: OKYO) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for the treatment of neuropathic corneal pain (NCP) and inflammatory eye diseases, with ordinary shares listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market. OKYO is focused on the discovery and development of novel molecules to treat neuropathic corneal pain and other ocular diseases. OKYO recently completed a successful phase 2 trial of its flagship drug urcosimod in subjects with NCP and plans to initiate a ~150 subject Phase 2b/3 multiple-dose study of urcosimod to treat NCP in the first half of this year.
For further information, please visit www.okyopharma.com.
Inquiries:
| Business Development & Investor Relations | Paul Spencer | +44 (0)20 7495 2379 |