WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nocion Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel small molecule therapies that selectively silence activated sensory neurons, today announced the appointment of Vineet Agarwal, MBA as Chief Business Officer.
Mr. Agarwal is a recognized life sciences leader, operator and advisor with nearly two decades of experience in company creation, capital formation, and strategic transactions.
“We are delighted to welcome Vineet to Nocion. Vineet spent nearly two decades helping to build some of biotech's most significant companies, and he joins us at an important time,” said Richard Batycky, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Nocion Therapeutics. “As we approach topline data from our Phase 2b ASPIRE study in early August, Nocion is well-positioned to define a new standard of care in refractory and unexplained chronic cough. Vineet's expertise in building and financing clinically promising companies and products will be critical as we move toward achieving our mission to deliver long-awaited relief to people suffering from debilitating chronic conditions.”
“I am excited to join the team at Nocion. By building companies and advising many biotech transactions, I have developed a good sense of what distinguishes a company, like Nocion, with genuine breakthrough potential,” said Mr. Agarwal. “Nocion has a first-in-class asset, Taplucainium, with a differentiated mechanism, compelling data package, significant readout on the horizon, and a platform with reach well beyond chronic cough. This is a pivotal moment, and I look forward to helping the team build a company that can execute on the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Mr. Agarwal brings more than two decades of experience advising and building biotechnology companies, spanning M&A, strategic transactions, and capital formation. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer and Head of Business Development at Korro Bio from 2021-2025, where he helped lead the company’s reverse merger with Frequency Therapeutics and supported the raising of more than $350 million across multiple financings. He also played a key role in establishing Korro’s strategic collaboration with Novo Nordisk focused on RNA editing therapies.
Prior to Korro, Vineet spent more than 14 years at J.P. Morgan advising biotechnology and life sciences companies on IPOs, follow-on offerings, convertible financings, strategic partnerships, and M&A transactions. Selected transactions he worked on include Synageva’s acquisition by Alexion, Cubist’s acquisition by Merck, Juno Therapeutics’ and Receptos’ acquisitions by Celgene, Corvidia Therapeutics’ acquisition by Novo Nordisk, Civitas Therapeutics’ acquisition by Acorda Therapeutics, and Foundation Medicine’s IPO, as well as IPOs for AlloVir, Precision BioSciences, and Kala Pharmaceuticals.
He holds an MBA from the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad, and a B.Com from Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi.
About Chronic Cough
Chronic cough is defined as cough lasting more than eight weeks and is associated with significant physical, social, and psychosocial burden. It is estimated that approximately 27 million adults in the United States suffer from chronic cough, of which approximately 9 million suffer from refractory or unexplained chronic cough (rCC/uCC). No new therapies have been approved for use in the U.S. in the last 65 years, and chronic cough is often treated with off-label approaches that may be inadequate or ineffective.
About Taplucainium
Taplucainium (formerly NTX-1175) inhalation powder is a proprietary molecule in the novel class of charged sodium channel blockers (CSCBs) designed to selectively silence activated/inflamed nociceptors while having minimal local off-target effects or systemic exposure. It is delivered once daily and in prior studies, has shown a rapid onset of effect for silencing cough with a favorable adverse event profile. Unlike other investigational cough therapies, such as P2X3 antagonists that target a specific large pore channel (LPC), taplucainium is designed to gain access to airway nociceptors through open LPCs and then inhibit the sodium channels responsible for initiating the pathological cough response. This broader mechanism has shown superior antitussive effects in preclinical models of cough. Together with preliminary safety and efficacy data from earlier-stage clinical work, these findings support evaluation of taplucainium in cough indications beyond chronic cough.
About Nocion
Nocion Therapeutics is a clinical-stage private biopharmaceutical company developing nocions™, a novel class of small molecule charged sodium channel blockers (CSCBs), designed to selectively silence activated sensory neurons by delivering precision therapies that act directly on the nerve fibers that underlie disease. Based on foundational insights from Harvard’s Office of Technology Development, the Company aims to deliver long-awaited relief for millions of patients suffering from underserved conditions including chronic cough, itch, pain, and neurogenic inflammation. Nocion’s lead clinical program, taplucainium inhalation powder, is a first-in-class, locally delivered nocion currently in Phase 2b clinical development for refractory or unexplained chronic cough (rCC/uCC). The Company is also advancing a platform of nocion-based medicines to address additional debilitating conditions where overactive sensory nerves cause lasting harm. For more information, please follow Nocion on LinkedIn and X, as well as on our website: www.nociontx.com.
Contacts
Investor and Business Development Contact:
Vineet Agarwal
ir@nociontx.com
Media Contact:
Genevieve Britton
Precision AQ
pr@nociontx.com
