Nocion Therapeutics Names Vineet Agarwal Chief Business Officer
WATERTOWN, Mass. — Nocion Therapeutics has appointed Vineet Agarwal, MBA, as chief business officer as the biopharmaceutical company prepares for a key clinical readout from its Phase 2b ASPIRE study.
The Watertown-based company is developing small molecule therapies designed to selectively silence activated sensory neurons. Its lead asset, Taplucainium, is being studied for refractory and unexplained chronic cough.
“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.”
Agarwal brings more than two decades of experience in biotechnology company building, capital formation, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic transactions. He previously served from 2021 to 2025 as chief financial officer and head of business development at Korro Bio, where he helped lead the company’s reverse merger with Frequency Therapeutics and supported more than $350 million in financings.
He also helped establish Korro’s strategic collaboration with Novo Nordisk focused on RNA editing therapies.
“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.”
Before joining Korro, Agarwal 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 deals. His work included transactions involving Synageva, Alexion, Cubist, Merck, Juno Therapeutics, Receptos, Celgene, Corvidia Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, Civitas Therapeutics, Acorda Therapeutics and Foundation Medicine, as well as IPOs for AlloVir, Precision BioSciences and Kala Pharmaceuticals.
Agarwal holds an MBA from the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad, and a B.Com from Shri Ram College of Commerce at the University of Delhi.
