history

Othera Pharmaceuticals was founded in January 2002 in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Our scientific founders acquired an exclusive license from the National Institutes of Health’s National Eye Institute (NIH) to a molecule that the NIH was researching for the prevention of age-related eye diseases. Othera’s founders sought to modify the NIH compound to optimize it for ocular penetration as an eye drop. Through this process, the founders developed OT-551, a novel small molecule eye drop. Othera soon discovered that OT-551 could penetrate the cornea and reach the retina in the back of the eye. This unique characteristic has allowed for OT-551’s development as a potential treatment for retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration. Othera’s founders also developed OT-730, a novel small molecule eye drop for the treatment of glaucoma.

In October 2004, we moved to our current laboratory facility in Exton, PA. Since 2005, we have advanced the OT-551 and OT-730 programs into later stages of development; discovered and developed additional OT-300 drug candidates for non-ophthalmic indications; and expanded our management and scientific teams and capabilities to support more advanced stages of drug development and commercialization. Othera currently employs thirty people, over half of whom hold advanced degrees.