Finnish biotechnology company Nadmed, developer of the most accurate and only CE-marked test for measuring vitamin B3-derived NAD molecules directly from fresh blood, has appointed James Lee as its new chief executive officer, effective from the beginning of May. As the role of NAD and redox metabolites gains increasing importance across research, clinical insight, preventative healthcare, and drug development, Nadmed is scaling its technology to meet growing global demand. Lee’s appointment supports this next phase of expansion, bringing extensive commercial and operational leadership to accelerate the company’s growth and international footprint.
Lee brings more than 25 years of experience in the international pharmaceutical and healthcare sector, with a track record of launching innovative medicines and scaling global healthcare brands. He has held commercial and operational leadership roles across multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Novo Nordisk, where he contributed to shaping the global launch strategy for Ozempic®. Most recently, he served as Chief Brand Officer at Pharmanovia, where he was responsible for the company’s specialty medicines portfolio.
“Nadmed’s technology addresses a fundamental biological system that is becoming increasingly important across research, diagnostics, and personalised health,” said Lee. “What stands out is how quickly the company has translated strong science into real commercial traction, with a presence in more than 30 countries. I see a clear opportunity to build on this foundation and scale its impact globally for researchers, clinicians, and patients.”
“We’re seeing a real shift in how NAD biology and the disease-modified NAD/B3 states are being understood and applied, and that’s opening up opportunities well beyond where the field was just a few years ago,” said Professor Anu Suomalainen Wartiovaara, co-founder and Chair of the Executive Board at Nadmed, whose scientific research is the basis of Nadmed. “Now the focus is on making what we’ve built more widely used internationally. James has worked at that kind of scale before, and he knows what it takes to turn strong science into something that reaches the people who can actually use it.”
Current CEO Jari Närhi is retiring and will step down from the CEO role at the company. Närhi, who co-founded Nadmed Ltd and has led its development since inception, has played a central role in establishing the company’s foundation and early commercial traction. The Board expressed its appreciation for his leadership in building Nadmed Ltd into a globally active biotechnology company. Närhi will remain available in an advisory capacity to support continuity during the transition period.
Nadmed is a spin-out from the University of Helsinki, currently serving over 100 organisations and companies across more than 30 countries worldwide. The proprietary Nadmed method enables the measurement of the active forms of vitamin B3, NAD metabolites, which play a critical role in cellular energy production and repair processes. In addition, Nadmed offers glutathione measurement, targeting one of the body’s most important antioxidants. The Nadmed method is available both as a laboratory service and as a kit.
