OTR Therapeutics has emerged from stealth with the closing of a $100 million Series A financing that strengthens the company’s strategy to advance early scientific innovation into globally deployable therapies. The funding round, completed in June 2025, was backed by True Light Capital, LAV, Pfizer Ventures, and Sirona Capital.
Founded in March 2025, OTR Therapeutics is building an R&D model that pairs internal scientific discovery with curated external innovation. The company’s approach is rooted in scientific rigor, operational agility, and regional ecosystem advantages that collectively support faster development of novel therapies for global patient populations. The new capital will accelerate a pipeline to address significant unmet needs in immunology, inflammation, oncology, and other disease areas, while also enabling the expansion of OTR’s R&D hub and partnership capabilities.
As part of its broader strategy, OTR has also acquired a preclinical neurological disease program with best-in-class potential. This acquisition reinforces its ongoing efforts to identify promising early-stage assets that can be advanced into global clinical development alongside its internal discovery portfolio. The company’s leadership team, co-founded by Zhui Chen, Ph.D., Shannon Chuai, Ph.D., and Yuan Shi, Ph.D., includes experienced biotech and pharmaceutical executives with a history of delivering scientific and commercial outcomes.
True Light Capital, a wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek, invests in innovative, high-growth companies across Greater China and manages approximately $4 billion in assets. The firm’s participation in OTR’s Series A reflects increasing investor interest in capital-efficient R&D models intended to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global pharmaceutical landscape.
KEY QUOTES
“The rapidly evolving global pharmaceutical R&D landscape demands greater novelty, speed and efficiency. At OTR, we aim to build a next-generation biotech model that delivers unprecedented R&D and capital efficiency. 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. We are grateful for the strong support from our investors and their confidence in our vision and capability to deliver transformative therapies for patients.”
Dr. Zhui Chen, Founder and CEO, OTR Therapeutics
“We believe the biopharma industry is shifting towards more capital-efficient and specialized R&D models. OTR Therapeutics is at the forefront of this evolution, demonstrating how a focused, integrated framework can expedite the journey of translating early-stage innovation into global clinical development.”
Yi Shi, Managing Director, LAV
“Pfizer Ventures identifies and invests in emerging companies who are developing innovative medicines and technologies that have the potential to shape the future of our industry. To this end, 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.”
Michael Baran, Partner, Pfizer Ventures
