WATERTOWN, Mass. — Nocion Therapeutics Inc. has appointed Vineet Agarwal, MBA, as chief business officer as the biopharmaceutical company approaches a key clinical readout for its chronic cough program.
The Watertown-based company is developing small molecule therapies designed to selectively silence activated sensory neurons.
Agarwal brings nearly two decades of experience in life sciences company creation, capital formation and strategic transactions. He most recently served as chief financial officer and head of business development at Korro Bio from 2021 to 2025.
“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.”
Nocion said Agarwal helped lead Korro Bio’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.
Before joining Korro, Agarwal spent more than 14 years at J.P. Morgan, where he advised biotechnology and life sciences companies on initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, convertible financings, strategic partnerships and mergers and acquisitions.
His transaction experience included 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. He also worked on IPOs for AlloVir, Precision BioSciences and Kala Pharmaceuticals.
“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 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.”
Agarwal holds an MBA from the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad, and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce at the University of Delhi.
