About us

Visible science

Maintain vision and improve ocular health

Nicox is an international ophthalmology company developing innovative solutions to help maintain vision and improve ocular health.

The lead program of Nicox’s ophthalmic pipeline, NCX 470, has successfully completed Phase 3 clinical development targeting glaucoma in the U.S. and China, with a separate Phase 3 program ongoing in Japan. Our ophthalmic pipeline also includes a candidate under preclinical evaluation for development in retinal conditions, NCX 1728. We have two products which are commercialized in the U.S.; VYZULTA® (latanoprostene bunod ophthalmic solution) 0.024% and ZERVIATE® (cetirizine ophthalmic solution) 0.24%, for use in patients with open-angle glaucoma and ocular allergic conjunctivitis respectively. ZERVIATE is also commercialized in China.

Leadership team

Nicox has a highly experienced leadership team. Their combined expertise, from leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies, covers research, clinical development, regulatory, finance, business and corporate development, alliance management and communication.

Gavin Spencer

Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Spencer has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Nicox on February 27, 2024 and joined the Board on April 8, 2024. He has spent more than 30 years in the life sciences industry and combines strong business acumen with a solid scientific background and broad strategic, financial, corporate development, commercial and operational management experience in biotechs and large pharma. During his time with Nicox, since 2005, Gavin Spencer has had a key role in building and managing Nicox’s partnerships, including closing agreements with Pfizer, Bausch + Lomb, VISUfarma and Ocumension Therapeutics. He has been involved in equity raising and investor relations at Nicox for many years and has led the Company’s recent financing activities. He has previously worked at Novartis Consumer Health and Boots Healthcare International and holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Aberdeen.

Sandrine Gestin

Vice President, Finance and Human Resources

Ms. Gestin joined Nicox in 1999 and has held several positions at Nicox, including director of accounting and financial controller and more recently Vice President, Finance and Human Resources. Before joining Nicox, Ms. Gestin worked for ten years at IBM France, where she had responsibilities for the consolidation of overseas subsidiaries. Ms. Gestin holds a master’s degree in accounting and finance, “Maîtrise des Sciences et Techniques Comptables et Financières” (MSTCF) from the Institut d’Administration des Entreprises, Nice, France.

Doug Hubatsch

EVP Chief Scientific Officer

Doug Hubatsch joined Nicox in December 2021. Prior to joining Nicox he was Global Medical Head for Ocular Surface Disease and Digital Medicines within Global Medical Affairs at Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Doug Hubatsch has more than 25 years’ experience in Discovery Research, Development and Medical Affairs in Novartis, Alcon, Roche and AstraZeneca and has been involved with the launch of more than 10 products through his career including Simbrinza (Alcon) for glaucoma and Xiidra (Novartis) for dry eye disease.

Emmet Purtill

Vice President, Business Development

As Vice President Business Development, Emmet Purtill is responsible for licensing, alliance management, due diligence and related activities for Nicox’s corporate transactions.  He has more than 30 years’ experience of business roles in pharmaceuticals and life sciences and has played a key role across Nicox’s partnering agreements and strategic alliances since joining the company in 2006, negotiating agreements in the US, Europe, Japan, China and Korea among others.  Prior to joining Nicox, Emmet worked in business development for the contract research organization Covance for seven years.  He has a BSc (Hons) degree in biochemistry from the University of Bath and an MBA from the UK’s Open University.

 

Nicox’s Board has extensive experience in ophthalmology and pharmaceutical development

Damian Marron

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Damian Marron is a non-executive director, corporate advisor and life science executive with a successful track record of value creation through public and venture capital financing, portfolio planning, M&A and licensing agreements as well as R&D collaborations. He has extensive experience both as an Executive and an independent director and in advisory roles, and has specialized notably in immuno-oncology, cell therapy and orphan diseases.

Damian Marron is currently Chair of the Board of Circio ASA, a Norwegian, listed, pre-clinical company. He is also an Independent Director at Cantargia, a Swedish, listed, clinical stage oncology company, at Mariposa Therapeutics Ltd, a private early-stage UK company , at Onya Therapeutics Ltd, a UK company entering in clinical phase and Head of Biopharma with Treehill Partners, a boutique healthcare advisory firm.

Mr. Marron holds an honours degree in pharmacology from the University of Liverpool.

Gavin Spencer

Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Spencer has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Nicox on February 27, 2024 and joined the Board on April 8, 2024. He has spent more than 30 years in the life sciences industry and combines strong business acumen with a solid scientific background and broad strategic, financial, corporate development, commercial and operational management experience in biotechs and large pharma. During his time with Nicox, since 2005, Gavin Spencer has had a key role in building and managing Nicox’s partnerships, including closing agreements with Pfizer, Bausch + Lomb, VISUfarma and Ocumension Therapeutics. He has been involved in equity raising and investor relations at Nicox for many years and has led the Company’s recent financing activities. He has previously worked at Novartis Consumer Health and Boots Healthcare International and holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Aberdeen.

Marc Le Bozec

Director

Marc Le Bozec became an entrepreneur in the life sciences after a career as an organization and strategy consultant. He created BioProtein Technologies in 1998, a biotech dedicated to the production of recopmbinant proteins. This company contributes to the marketing of a Factor VII called SevenFact, which helps fight hemophilia.

He then joined Cellectis, which he helped enter the Paris stock exchange in early 2007 as Financial Director. He raised €120 million in total for Cellectis from 2006 to 2013 and at the same time created and managed Cellectis bioresearch, a subsidiary for the development and marketing of tools for researchers.

From 2013 to 2015, he directed Cytoo in Grenoble, which he reoriented towards human muscle. This company is now a recognized player in the sector having recently received approval from the FDA. Marc Le Bozec is now a board member and a major shareholder of Cytoo.

At the end of 2014, he created a UCITS within Financière Arbevel then an FPCI in 2018 for aournd €40 million.

After 9 years of experience as a professional investor, Marc Le Bozec resumed his consulting activities and created Neurodyx in January 2024 to promote the work of academic researchers in neuroinflammation.

Marc Le Bozec is also a board member and CEO of the french company OSE Immunotherapeutics.

Marc Le Bozec graduated from HEC.

Christine Placet

Director

Christine Placet joined the board of Nicox on September 3rd, 2024, with a distinguished career in the biotech industry. She started as an auditor at Ernst & Young and then built-up extensive experience of financial leadership in small- and medium- sized companies. In 2004, she joined the biotech company Trophos as Chief Financial Officer, later becoming Chief Executive Officer. Under her leadership, Trophos was acquired by Roche for €470 million in 2015. She then became CEO of Horama (now Coave Therapeutics) in 2016, successfully leading funding rounds and advancing a key product into development. In 2021, she transitioned into consulting and joined Theranexus as CFO in April 2024.

Christine Placet is a graduate of Kedge Business School.

Principal partnerships

Harrow Health

Ocumension Therapeutics

Nicox and Ocumension Therapeutics entered into exclusive license agreements for the development and commercialization of  ZERVIATE® and NCX 470 for the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets as well as for NCX 4251 for the Chinese market.

Ocumension Therapeutics is a China-based ophthalmology company, listed on Hong Kong Exchange, dedicated to identifying, developing and commercializing first or best-in-class ophthalmic therapies.

Bausch + Lomb

Nicox entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Bausch + Lomb which grants Bausch + Lomb exclusive worldwide rights to develop and market latanoprostene bunod, commercialized as VYZULTA®.

Nicox sold the royalty revenue from VYZULTA to Soleus Capital in October 2024.

Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health company, is dedicated to helping people see better to live better.

Its core businesses include over-the-counter products, dietary supplements, eye care products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, contact lenses, lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments.

Kowa

Nicox and Kowa Company, Ltd. entered into an exclusive license agreement for the development and commercialization of NCX 470 in Japan and all other countries of the world except China, Korea and Southeast Asia.

Kowa is a privately held, multinational company headquartered in Nagoya, Japan.Established in 1894, Kowa is actively engaging in various business fields including the trading of textiles, machinery, and construction materials, in addition to the manufacturing and sales of medicines, medical equipment, vision units, energy saving and energy creating products.

Kowa’s pharmaceutical business is focused on research and development for three main activities in lifestyle-related diseases (dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis), ophthalmology and anti-inflammatory agents.

For more information, please see https://www.kowa.co.jp/eng/

Click on a partner logo to read more
All information on partnerships signed by Nicox can be found in the Annual Report and the subsequent press releases.