OKYO Pharma Limited announced that patients are now being dosed in the randomized portion of the phase 2, multi-center, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial of topical ocular OK-101 to treat DED, following the two-week placebo run-in period intended to minimize the placebo effect. This run-in period enables to evaluate potential patients for the placebo effect during the run-in screening period, improving patient selection for the randomized treatment portion of the trial. Importantly, this first clinical study is also designed to include two pre-specified primary efficacy endpoints which are the hallmark of phase 3 registration trials, and one of the efficacy endpoints deals specifically with ocular discomfort." Dry eye disease is a common condition that occurs when one's tears are unable to adequately lubricate the eyes.

This condition affects approximately 49 million people in the U.S. alone and has been a difficult one to positively diagnose and to treat due to the multifactorial nature of the condition. A number of contributing factors can lead to this condition, including age, sex, certain medical conditions, reduced tear production and tear film dysfunction. tear film instability typically leads to inflammation and damage to the ocular surface.