Kiora licenses South Korean rights to KIO-301 to Chong Kun Dang

Kiora Pharmaceuticals announced on August 19, 2026 that it has entered into a licensing arrangement covering ophthalmic development and commercialization of KIO-301 in South Korea, granted to Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corporation (CKD).¹ CKD is described as one of South Korea's leading pharmaceutical companies, based in Seoul.¹

Under the terms, Kiora will receive a $1 million upfront payment and is eligible for development and regulatory milestone payments, along with royalties on future South Korean sales of KIO-301.¹ The accompanying 8-K specifies that the agreement became effective August 20, 2026, and that Kiora granted CKD an exclusive, sublicensable license to develop, manufacture, commercialize, and seek regulatory approvals for KIO-301 in South Korea for retinitis pigmentosa and other ophthalmic uses.¹ The filing also notes Kiora is eligible for double digit royalties based on a specified percentage of net sales in South Korea, subject to possible adjustment,¹ and that either party may terminate the agreement under certain customary conditions.¹

CKD will handle development and commercialization activities in South Korea, and Kiora expects its partners, Laboratoires Théa, Senju Pharmaceutical and CKD, to coordinate on a single global Phase 3 trial for KIO-301 in retinitis pigmentosa.¹

CEO Brian Strem said the agreement broadens Kiora's partner network for KIO-301 to cover the U.S., Europe, Japan, China and now South Korea,¹ and added that with global partners in place, Kiora will now focus on advancing KIO-104 for retinal inflammation and fibrosis and exploring its ion channel modulators outside ophthalmology, including in epilepsy.¹