Novan Inc.

Nitric oxide (NO) became a sudden celebrity in the early 1990s, as scientists recognized that the gas long known as a component of cigarette smoke and smog is also a vital chemical messenger within the body, but no one has yet been able to channel the academic understanding of NO into successful new medicines. Novan Inc. believes it can succeed where others have failed – the start-up aims first to create a topical treatment for acne, and then to pursue other first-in-class treatments in the field of dermatology.