OKYO Pharma appoints Ophthalmology veteran Robert Dempsey as new CEO

OKYO Pharma’s new CEO Robert Dempsey joined Steve Darling from Proactive to discuss the leadership transition and the company’s strategic direction. As part of the change, former CEO Gary Jacob, Ph.D., will assume the role of Chief Development Officer while continuing to serve on OKYO’s Board of Directors, ensuring continuity across leadership and development initiatives. Dempsey brings more than 20 years of domestic and global experience in the ophthalmology sector, spanning drug development, commercialization, and strategic transactions. He told Proactive that his background includes serving as Group Vice President and Head of Global Ophthalmology at Shire, prior to its acquisition by Takeda. During his tenure, Dempsey played a pivotal role in one of only three major ophthalmology transactions over the past two decades, helping to close a deal involving more than $3.4 billion in upfront consideration for Xiidra® (5%). That asset was later acquired by Bausch + Lomb for $1.7 billion. Beyond his corporate leadership experience, Dempsey emphasized the strength of his professional network within the eye-care community. He has served as a CEO and independent director across multiple ophthalmic companies, giving him broad insight into both early-stage development and later-stage commercialization strategies. OKYO Pharma described the leadership change as a natural evolution that positions the company for its next phase of growth. With Jacob transitioning into a development-focused role, the company aims to accelerate progress on its lead asset, urcosimod, which is being developed for the treatment of neuropathic corneal pain and other ocular inflammatory disorders. Dempsey noted that his focus as CEO will be on advancing urcosimod through key clinical milestones while leveraging his industry experience to guide strategic partnerships and long-term value creation. The company believes this leadership structure strengthens execution capabilities and aligns OKYO Pharma for meaningful progress in 2026 and beyond. #proactiveinvestors #okyopharmalimited #nasdaq #okyo #Urcosimod #NeuropathicCornealPain #BiotechNews #ClinicalTrials #FDAapproval #Ophthalmology #DrugDevelopment #CompassionateUse #EyeHealth #robertdempsey #ceo