Iacta Pharmaceuticals

What Iacta Pharmaceuticals does

Iacta Pharmaceuticals is a privately held, development-stage ophthalmic pharmaceutical company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, with a secondary office in Irvine, California. The company builds a portfolio of novel prescription drug candidates targeting two large therapeutic areas: ocular pain, where no approved topical analgesic exists today and current reliance is on NSAIDs with safety limits or opioids with addiction risk; and dry eye and ocular surface disease, including allergic conjunctivitis. Its scientific platform rests on two core mechanisms. The first, DENKI (Dual EnKephalinase Inhibitors), licensed from Pharmaleads with potential total milestones of up to $100M, inhibits the Neprilysin and Aminopeptidase N enzymes that degrade endogenous enkephalins, providing a non-opioid analgesic mechanism with epithelial-protective properties, embodied in candidate IC 800 (acute post-surgical pain) and IC 805 (chronic neuropathic pain). The second, SYK kinase inhibition, blocks the spleen tyrosine kinase starting point of the inflammatory cascade and underpins IC 265 for dry eye and IC 270 for allergic conjunctivitis, the latter as a fixed-dose combination with an antihistamine. The company also in-licensed TALLC's SmartCelle 30nm micelle pan-ocular topical delivery technology and is pursuing IC 702, a next-generation broad-spectrum ocular antibiotic.

IACTA monetizes through an asset-light licensing model rather than direct commercialization. The company acquires or licenses differentiated ophthalmic candidates from external originators, advances them via specialty CRO Ora (which has invested in IACTA) and uses the U.S. Department of Defense as a non-dilutive funding source for selected programs. Regional commercialization rights are then licensed to partners such as Zhaoke (Hong Kong) Ophthalmology Pharmaceutical, which holds development and commercialization rights to IC 265 and IC 270 across China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, generating upfront fees, development cost reimbursement, regulatory and sales milestones, and tiered royalties for IACTA. The company operates an Asia Pacific subsidiary, IPAC Pharma, and retains rights for major markets including the U.S. and Europe. With all products still in preclinical or early clinical development, no commercial revenue is disclosed and current revenue consists of licensing-related milestones and grant funding.

The company is led by a C-suite drawn almost entirely from senior Allergan alumni: CEO and co-founder Damon Burrows (former Allergan Chief Regulatory Counsel for R&D), co-founders William Pedranti (CAO) and George Ng (CBO), CSO Orest Olejnik (ex-SVP Global Pharmaceutical Sciences at Allergan), COO Steve Johnson (former Allergan R&D governance committee member), CMO Eric Carter (former SVP/CMO at Allergan with 11 drug approvals), and CFO Yogesh Bahl (former Managing Director, Global co-lead, Healthcare & Life Sciences at AlixPartners).

Name

Iacta Pharmaceuticals

Legal name

Iacta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Website

https://iactapharma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Iacta Pharmaceuticals is a development-stage ophthalmic pharmaceutical company founded in 2016 that licenses and advances novel drug candidates for ocular pain and dry eye disease using two proprietary platforms, DENKI (dual enkephalinase inhibition) and SYK kinase inhibition, and monetizes through regional licensing partnerships rather than direct commercialization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmic Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Ophthalmology Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ocular Drug Delivery Devices (Eye Droppers/Inserts) (HLAHAIAL)

Keywords

• Ophthalmic drug development
• Ocular pain therapeutics
• Dry eye treatment
• Dual enkephalinase inhibitors
• Ophthalmic pharmaceuticals

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Milestone Payments: IACTA generates revenue through licensing agreements where partners (such as Zhaoke) pay upfront fees, development milestones, regulatory milestones, and tiered royalties upon commercialization. The company also receives reimbursement for certain development costs.
2. Non-Dilutive Funding: The company receives grants and funding from government sources such as the U.S. Department of Defense for specific development programs like IC 800 for ocular pain treatment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Iacta Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage ophthalmic pharmaceutical company that acquires, develops, and licenses novel drug candidates for two large ocular indications: ocular pain (via the DENKI Dual ENKephalinase Inhibitor platform) and dry eye disease / allergic conjunctivitis (via SYK kinase inhibitors). Its lead candidates IC 800, IC 805, IC 265, IC 270, and IC 702 are advanced through clinical development with CRO partners and commercialized via regional licensing deals.

Product overview

IACTA Pharmaceuticals is an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of novel drug candidates for large ocular markets, specifically targeting dry eye disease and ocular pain. The company's pipeline consists of two technology platforms: DENKI (Dual Enkephalinase Inhibitors) products including IC 800 for acute post-surgical pain and IC 805 for chronic neuropathic pain; and SYK kinase inhibitors including IC 265 for dry eye disease and IC 270 for allergic conjunctivitis. Additional pipeline includes IC 702 for bacterial conjunctivitis. The company leverages partnerships with Pharmaleads for DENKI technology, Zhaoke for Asian market development, and TALLC Corporation for SmartCelle drug delivery technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DENKI: Dual ENKephalinase Inhibitors technology platform targeting the body's natural pain management system for non-opioid pain relief
• DENKI
• DENKI
• SYK Kinase Inhibitor
• IPAC Pharma

Products and services

• IC 800 DENKI-class non-opioid analgesic eye drop for acute post-surgical ocular pain, designed to inhibit Neprilysin (NEP) and Aminopeptidase N (APN) and protect endogenous enkephalins to enhance natural pain relief.
• IC 805 DENKI-class non-opioid analgesic eye drop for chronic neuropathic ocular pain and ocular pain associated with dry eye disease; sister compound to IC 800 targeting chronic indications.
• IC 265 Potent and selective SYK kinase inhibitor eye drop for the treatment of dry eye disease, blocking multiple downstream signaling pathways in the inflammatory/immune cascade to provide broad anti-inflammatory activity.
• IC 270 Fixed-dose combination of a SYK kinase inhibitor (IC 265) with an antihistamine in an eye drop for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis, addressing itch, redness, and inflammatory effects of allergic responses.
• IC 702 Next-generation broad-spectrum ocular antibiotic eye drop with a novel mechanism of action targeting topoisomerase IV, DNA gyrase, and DNA primase, designed for high potency against resistant bacteria including MRSA and multi-drug resistant clinical isolates, intended for bacterial conjunctivitis.

Quantifiable outcome

• IC 265 demonstrated efficacy in Phase 2 Conjunctival Allergen Challenge model with reduced redness and anti-inflammatory effects
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.

• TALLC CorporationstrategicTechnology or Integration · 15 December 2021Strategic collaboration and licensing agreement for TALLC's SmartCelle micellar technology for pan-ocular drug delivery. IACTA gains rights to use 30nm micelle technology for delivering novel ophthalmic therapeutics. Collaboration includes option agreement for exclusive rights to co-develop TALLC's lead product TA-A001, an anti-inflammatory anti-angiogenic molecule with analgesic properties.
• PharmaleadscoreTechnology or Integration · 7 January 2021Licensing agreement granting IACTA exclusive worldwide rights to Pharmaleads' Dual Enkephalinase Inhibitors (DENKI) for ocular applications. IACTA acquired global rights to IC800 (acute) and IC805 (chronic) and other DENKI drugs. Pharmaleads eligible for up to $100M in total deal value including milestones. DENKI technology inhibits enkephalin-degrading enzymes to enhance natural pain management.
• Zhaoke (Hong Kong) Ophthalmology Pharmaceutical LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 July 2020Definitive license agreement for IC 265 (dry eye) and IC 270 (allergic conjunctivitis) in China and Southeast Asia. Zhaoke handles clinical development and commercialization in licensed territories including China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. IACTA receives upfront fees, development cost reimbursement, milestone payments, and tiered royalties. Zhaoke is a subsidiary of Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings.
• Ora (ORA Clinical)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClinical research organization partnership providing deep clinical development and regulatory leadership. Ora is a leading global CRO specializing in eye care with over 40 years of experience. Their proprietary clinical models have become standard across multiple ophthalmic therapeutic areas. IACTA partnership provides opportunities for multiple pre- and early-clinical assets.
• IPAC PharmastrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary entity focused on bringing cutting edge eye care technology to China, Japan, Korea, and the Asia Pacific region. Supports IACTA's global development strategy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Zhaoke (Hong Kong) Ophthalmology Pharmaceutical: IACTA's exclusive licensing partner for IC 265 and IC 270 in China and SE Asia. Zhaoke is a clinical and commercial-stage ophthalmic pharma developing its own dry eye and ocular surface pipeline, making it both a partner and a directly comparable ophthalmic pharma focused on the same indications and Asian markets.
• Ocular Therapeutix: Clinical-stage ophthalmic pharma developing therapeutics for dry eye, allergic conjunctivitis, and post-surgical ocular pain. Directly comparable in therapeutic focus (ocular pain, ocular surface) and asset-light / specialty pharma model.
• Aldeyra Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing novel anti-inflammatory treatments for dry eye disease and allergic conjunctivitis. Highly comparable given overlapping indications, novel mechanism-of-action programs, and similar pre-commercial stage.
• Aerie Pharmaceuticals: Commercial-stage ophthalmic pharma historically focused on glaucoma, ocular surface, and retina. Comparable as a specialty ophthalmic pharma that has pursued licensing and bolt-on development rather than in-house discovery at scale.
• Kala Bio: Clinical-stage ophthalmic company with approved dry eye and post-surgical ocular anti-inflammatory/infective products. Comparable pipeline focus on ocular surface inflammation and a similar small-cap, asset-light commercial model.

Emerging players

• Novaliq: Ophthalmic biotech with a water-free drug delivery technology (similar in concept to SmartCelle) and late-stage dry eye programs. Comparable for the delivery-platform-plus-indication mix and overlap in dry eye.
• Nicox: European ophthalmic specialty company developing therapeutics for ocular inflammation and glaucoma with a licensing-driven commercial model. Comparable as a small-cap ophthalmic specialty pharma targeting similar inflammatory indications.

Others

• Pharmaleads: French biotech and licensor of the DENKI platform to IACTA. Comparable as a peer developer of enkephalinase-based pain therapeutics, and is a direct upstream technology partner whose continued progress in non-ocular indications affects IACTA's pipeline value.

Broad incumbents

• Bausch + Lomb (Bausch Health): Large, diversified ophthalmic pharma and medtech incumbent with broad dry eye, allergy, and surgical ophthalmics portfolio. Comparable as the dominant incumbent competing for the same physician channels and patient indications IACTA targets.
• AbbVie (Allergan Aesthetics / Eye Care): Acquirer of Allergan and one of the largest ophthalmic pharma players, with major dry eye (Restasis), ocular surface, and post-surgical franchises. Comparable as the broad incumbent whose R&D gap IACTA is explicitly designed to fill.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iacta Pharmaceuticals