kprx-202606180001372514false00013725142026-06-182026-06-18
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): June 18, 2026
KIORA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
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| 001-36672 | 98-0443284 |
| (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
169 Saxony Rd.
Suite 212
Encinitas, CA 92024
(858) 224-9600
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
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| ☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
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| ☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
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| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
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| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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| Title of each class: | | Trading Symbol(s) | | Name of each exchange on which registered: |
| Common Stock, $0.01 par value | | KPRX | | NASDAQ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.
On June 18, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing preclinical data on its novel ion channel modulator platform, which significantly suppressed seizure-associated electrophysiological activity in an ex vivo temporal lobe epilepsy model. The findings were presented in a poster at the Epilepsy Foundation Pipeline Conference taking place June 18-19, 2026, in Leesburg, VA. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
The information furnished herein, including Exhibit 99.1, is not deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liability of that section. This information will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that the registrant specifically incorporates them by reference.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
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Exhibit
Number | | Title |
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| 104 | | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
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| KIORA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. |
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| By: | /s/ Melissa Tosca |
| | Melissa Tosca |
| | Chief Financial Officer |
| | (Principal financial and accounting officer) |
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| Date: June 18, 2026 |
Exhibit 99.1
Kiora Pharmaceuticals Reports its Ion Channel Modulator, KIO-300, Suppressed Seizure Activity in Preclinical Epilepsy Model
Data Presented at Epilepsy Foundation Pipeline Conference Demonstrated Significant Reduction in Epileptiform Activity
The findings were reported at The Epilepsy Foundation Pipeline Conference taking place June 18-19, 2026
KIO-300 is the active pharmaceutical ingredient of KIO-301, Kiora’s ongoing Phase 2 clinical program in vision restoration in patients with gene mutation-agnostic Retinitis Pigmentosa
ENCINITAS, CA – June 18, 2026 -- Kiora Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: KPRX) today announced preclinical data showing that KIO-300, part of the company’s novel ion channel modulator platform, significantly suppressed seizure-associated electrophysiological activity in an ex vivo temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) model. The findings were presented in a poster at the Epilepsy Foundation Pipeline Conference taking place June 18-19, 2026, in Leesburg, VA.
"These data reinforce the broad therapeutic potential of our ion channel modulator platform and suggest potential utility beyond ophthalmology," said Brian Strem, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Kiora Pharmaceuticals. "There is a compelling opportunity to explore additional therapeutic applications where we retain full development and commercialization rights outside the eye. Future translational R&D efforts will evaluate targeted molecular modifications and delivery strategies to enhance disease-specific benefits in epilepsy and other neurological disorders."
Key findings include:
•KIO-300 produced sustained suppression of epileptiform activity in hippocampal CA1 slices from mice with induced temporal lobe epilepsy.
•Treatment reduced spontaneous epileptiform event frequency compared with vehicle controls, with statistically significant inhibition beginning 42 minutes after treatment (p < 0.0001).
•Analysis of cumulative epileptiform burden also demonstrated a significant reduction following KIO-300 exposure (p < 0.0001).
The suppressive effect persisted throughout both treatment and washout periods, suggesting prolonged neural tissue retention. Importantly, KIO-300 did not impair broader electrical transmission in brain tissue, indicating its effects were specific to abnormal spontaneous activity rather than generalized neurological suppression.
The scientific rationale builds on earlier retinal degeneration research in which KIO-300 reduced pathological retinal hyperactivity by approximately 50%. Because neuronal hyperexcitability is also a hallmark of epilepsy, researchers selected temporal lobe epilepsy as an exploratory indication to evaluate whether KIO-300's membrane-calming effects extend to the central nervous system.
The poster, titled "KIO-300/BENAQ Modulates Epileptiform Activity in an Ex Vivo Hippocampal TLE Model," was authored by researchers from Kiora Pharmaceuticals.
About Kiora Pharmaceuticals
Kiora Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing advanced therapies for retinal disease. We target critical pathways underlying retinal diseases using innovative small molecules to slow, stop, or restore vision loss. KIO-301 is being developed initially for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, with potential to expand into choroideremia and Stargardt disease. It is a molecular photoswitch that has the potential to restore vision in patients with inherited and/or age-related retinal degeneration. KIO-104 is being developed for the treatment of macular edema due to retinal inflammation. It is a next-generation, non-steroidal, immuno-modulatory, and small-molecule inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH).
In addition to news releases and SEC filings, we expect to post information on our website, www.kiorapharma.com, and social media accounts that could be relevant to investors. We encourage investors to follow us on X and LinkedIn as well as to visit our website and/or subscribe to email alerts.
Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements in this press release are "forward-looking" and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These "forward-looking" statements include statements relating to, among other things, Kiora's ability to execute on development and commercialization efforts and other regulatory or marketing approval efforts pertaining to Kiora's development-stage products, including KIO-104 and KIO-301, as well as the success thereof, which such approvals or success may not be obtained or achieved on a timely basis or at all, the sufficiency of existing cash and short-term investments on hand to fund operations for specific periods, the timeline of anticipated readouts, the potential for pipeline expansion, the potential to add trial centers, expand the geographic footprint of trials and/or accelerate enrollment, the potential for KIO-301 and KIO-104 to address multiple indications, and the possibility of future global registration studies and commercialization. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from the statements set forth in this press release, including, among other things, the ability to conduct clinical trials on a timely basis, market and other conditions and certain risk factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in Kiora's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 25, 2026 or described in Kiora's other public filings, including on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 8, 2026. Kiora's results may also be affected by factors of which Kiora is not currently aware. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Kiora expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to such statements to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any changes in the events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.
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