Nuance Biotech

Nuance Biotech, also known as Nuance Pharma, is a Shanghai-headquartered specialty pharmaceutical company established in 2014 by Mark Lotter. An experienced entrepreneur, Lotter previously founded and built the commercial operations for AstraZeneca in China before a brief retirement, returning to establish Nuance with the motivation to build a platform for innovation in the country. The company operates on a model of in-licensing, developing, and commercializing pharmaceutical products to address unmet medical needs within Greater China and other Asia-Pacific markets.

The firm's business strategy focuses on acquiring late clinical-stage assets from global partners and steering them through regional clinical development, regulatory approval, and commercialization. This approach leverages a seasoned management team with extensive experience at multinational pharmaceutical companies. Nuance's revenue is generated through the sale of its commercialized products and is supplemented by significant milestone payments from its licensing agreements. The company has successfully raised substantial capital to fund its expansion and pipeline development, including a Series B round in 2018 and a US$181 million Series D financing in December 2020.

Nuance's product portfolio is concentrated in specific therapeutic areas: respiratory diseases, pain management, iron deficiency anemia, and emergency/intensive care. A key product in its respiratory pipeline is ensifentrine (marketed as Ohtuvayre™), a first-in-class inhibitor for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), licensed from Verona Pharma. In pain management, the company is developing NTM-001, a non-opioid, continuous IV infusion of ketorolac for post-operative pain, through a partnership with Neumentum. The portfolio also includes the iron deficiency treatment NIFEREX and Bentrio™, a nasal spray for protection against airborne allergens and viruses. The company has established a commercial presence across China, targeting surgery departments and specialty clinics in leading hospitals, and is expanding into the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Keywords: specialty pharma, China healthcare, in-licensing, drug commercialization, clinical development, Mark Lotter, respiratory medicine, pain management, iron deficiency anemia, COPD treatment, ensifentrine, ketorolac, Asia-Pacific market, pharmaceutical partnerships, late-stage assets, regulatory approval, biopharmaceutical, Shanghai, Verona Pharma, Neumentum