Pfizer Ventures Backs OTR Therapeutics' $100M Series A, Boosting Chinese Biotech's R&D Capabilities

Shanghai-based OTR Therapeutics has secured a substantial $100 million series A funding round, with Pfizer Ventures among the key investors. The Chinese biotech, founded in March, aims to leverage this investment to expand its research and development capabilities and advance its diverse pipeline of therapeutic candidates.

Strategic Expansion and Portfolio Growth

OTR Therapeutics, a member of Bayer's Co.Lab life sciences incubator network, plans to use the funds to enhance its R&D hub in Shanghai's Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park. The company's strategy focuses on discovering and acquiring distinctive assets in preclinical and early clinical stages across multiple therapeutic areas.

Zhui Chen, Ph.D., OTR's founder and CEO, emphasized the company's ambition: "At OTR, we aim to build a next-generation biotech model that delivers unprecedented R&D and capital efficiency." Chen, who previously co-founded Abbisko Therapeutics, added, "It enables us to stay agile while remaining rigorously focused on propelling novel, differentiated drug candidates through global clinical translation in a disciplined and efficient manner."

Diverse Pipeline and Recent Acquisition

While OTR has kept most details of its pipeline confidential, the company disclosed that its programs target "significant treatment gaps in immunology and inflammation, oncology, and other disease areas." In a notable development, OTR announced the acquisition of a preclinical program with "best-in-class potential for neurological diseases with high unmet needs," though specifics about the program's origin were not revealed.

Investor Confidence and Industry Impact

The $100 million series A round, completed in June but only recently announced, attracted support from True Light Capital and Sirona Capital, in addition to Pfizer Ventures. Michael Baran, a partner at Pfizer Ventures, expressed confidence in OTR's potential: "We're pleased to be able to support OTR Therapeutics as it scales its R&D capabilities and builds a portfolio of potentially transformative therapies."

This substantial investment in OTR Therapeutics reflects growing interest in the Chinese biotech sector and highlights the industry's focus on developing innovative treatments for areas of high unmet medical need. As OTR Therapeutics expands its operations and advances its pipeline, the pharmaceutical industry will be watching closely to see how this emerging company contributes to the evolving landscape of global drug development.