Kiora Pharmaceuticals Licenses South Korean Ophthalmic Development and Commercialization Rights for KIO-301 to Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corporation (Form 8-K)

Kiora Pharmaceuticals Licenses South Korean Ophthalmic Development and Commercialization Rights for KIO-301 to Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corporation

ENCINITAS, Calif., August 19, 2026 - Kiora Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: KPRX) ("Kiora") today announced that it has licensed the development and commercialization rights for KIO-301 in South Korea for ophthalmic indications to Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corporation (CKD). CKD, based in Seoul, is one of South Korea's leading pharmaceutical companies. Under the agreement, Kiora will receive a $1 million upfront payment and is eligible to receive development and regulatory milestone payments, as well as royalties on future sales of KIO-301 in South Korea.

"KIO-301 is a molecular photoswitch designed to restore light sensitivity in degenerated retinal cells through a novel and elegant gene mutation-agnostic mechanism," said Young-Joo Kim, President of CKD. "Retinitis pigmentosa is a rare inherited retinal disease with limited treatment options, leaving the vast majority of patients without access to an appropriate therapy. In South Korea, more than 10,000 people are estimated to be living with the condition. We look forward to working with Kiora and its global partners as KIO-301 advances through development."

Under the agreement, CKD will be responsible for development and commercialization activities in South Korea. Kiora anticipates that its development and commercialization partners - Laboratoires Théa, Senju Pharmaceutical and CKD - will coordinate efforts to efficiently conduct a single, global Phase 3 clinical trial for KIO-301 in retinitis pigmentosa.

"This agreement expands our development and commercialization network for KIO-301 across major global markets, including the U.S., Europe, Japan, China and now South Korea," said Brian M. Strem, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Kiora Pharmaceuticals. "CKD brings established clinical, regulatory and commercial capabilities that can support development and commercialization of KIO-301 in South Korea, the sole major market in the world that was not partnered until this deal.

"With established global partners in place for KIO-301, we will focus internal resources on advancing KIO-104 for retinal inflammation and fibrosis, evaluating our ion channel modulators for therapeutic applications outside the eye (for instance, in epilepsy), while also evaluating potential strategic transactions to expand our pipeline."

KO Law PC served as legal counsel to Kiora in connection with the licensing transaction.

About KIO-301

KIO-301 is a molecular photoswitch being developed initially for retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited retinal disease that leads to progressive vision loss. The therapy is designed to restore light sensitivity to retinal ganglion cells after photoreceptors have degenerated. Because KIO-301 is designed to work independent of the underlying genetic mutation, it may have potential applications across multiple inherited retinal diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa, choroideremia and Stargardt disease.

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 other inherited retinal diseases. 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).

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