NEW YORK– Nectar Life Sciences, the trusted health technology company behind the first hybrid, vertically-integrated allergy care platform, today announced the grand opening of its flagship Nectar Allergy Center, located in New York City. The clinic expands Nectar’s platform from virtual care offerings to the physical realm, creating a hybrid model that treats both adults and children wherever it’s convenient for them. Nectar’s care offerings are now expanding from environmental allergies to more complex allergic conditions, including asthma, food allergies, and eczema.
As part of this launch, the company is significantly bolstering its clinical and scientific expertise by adding new board-certified allergists to the leadership team. Nectar Life Sciences has appointed Dr. Shyam Joshi, M.D., as the company’s first Chief Scientific Officer and hired Dr. Tania Elliott, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Akansha Ganju, M.D., has also joined the company as Medical Director of the Nectar Allergy Center.
Nectar Life Sciences is transforming allergy care with comprehensive, data-driven clinical innovation at a time when allergies are the #1 chronic condition in the U.S. More than 120 million Americans suffer from allergies and related conditions that make their lives difficult and affect their overall health. Nectar’s proprietary research found that 70% of allergy sufferers mask their symptoms with antihistamines and other over-the-counter products that may provide temporary relief but don’t solve the root cause – and 45% have never seen an allergist.
As part of the company’s mission to change those numbers by empowering and educating patients, the Nectar Allergy Center is a 3,250-square-foot facility at 176 3rd Avenue near Manhattan’s Union Square. The clinic took inspiration from the design and experience of inviting hotels and restaurants, rather than traditional medical offices. Increasing accessibility to comprehensive allergy care is a core part of Nectar Life Sciences’s mission, so the Allergy Center is strategically located near many subway and bus stops. The space was thoughtfully designed with modern, hypoallergenic decor to maximize efficiency, safety and functionality while accommodating a comfortable relationship between providers and patients. The clinic features a fully digital check-in, examination rooms set up for shared decision-making with educational flatscreens for patients, and relaxing observation areas where patients can catch up on work during longer treatments.
“As a native New Yorker who was born and raised in Washington Heights, where I suffered from severe allergies for decades, I’m extremely proud to establish our first Nectar Allergy Center in my hometown,” said Dr. Kenneth Chahine, Ph.D., J.D., Co-Founder & CEO of Nectar Life Sciences. “Opening this clinic represents a significant milestone in our mission to make transformative allergy care more accessible to the community, using the power of science and technology. Many New Yorkers are dreading the fall allergy season that’s just around the corner, as 90% of people with allergies have stayed home from work, school or other activities due to their symptoms. Our team is eager to provide comfort and help patients improve their quality of life, so they don’t have to miss out on the moments that truly matter.”
The center’s offerings expand upon Nectar’s at-home allergy testing and treatment solutions, which launched in February to detect and treat up to 40 indoor and outdoor allergies, with test sales growing by 50% each month since then. Nectar is the first allergy care platform with a vertically-integrated business model that allows the company to maintain quality control throughout the entire patient journey. In addition to the new clinic, the integrated ecosystem includes a compounding pharmacy, CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited lab testing facility, and telehealth network of allergists.
Nectar’s proprietary offering, Nectar Allergy Drops, is an evidence-based, safe, and cost-effective treatment that provides lifelong relief from allergies by treating the root cause with sublingual immunotherapy drops that are administered under the tongue. Nectar’s team of seasoned healthcare executives and innovators developed a unique, patent-pending protocol using FDA-approved single allergens to create Allergy Drops that are customized to each patient and treat multiple allergies simultaneously. As a result, survey data shows a vast majority of patients report experiencing improvement in allergy symptoms within a few months of starting Nectar.
Dr. Shyam Joshi, who has been an integral member of the Nectar Life Sciences team for the past two years, brings experience as an allergist and principal investigator in various clinical trials to his new role as Chief Scientific Officer. He is board certified in Allergy & Immunology and will continue to support Nectar’s clinical research and validation. Dr. Tania Elliott, a nationally recognized healthcare leader who is also board certified in Allergy & Immunology, has stepped into the Chief Medical Officer position. She will drive clinical strategy and quality across the company, while serving as the public face of Nectar to educate people about allergies and empower them with accessible treatment options. Dr. Elliott was previously Chief Medical Officer, Virtual Care at Ascension, one of the nation’s largest healthcare systems, and has held leadership roles at Aetna, a CVS Health Company; EHE Health, where she ran concierge clinics across 44 states; and Doctor on Demand (now Included Health). Dr. Akansha Ganju has newly joined the Nectar Allergy Center team, after completing a fellowship in Allergy & Immunology at UCLA Health, where she treated patients at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, and the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.
“Nectar Life Sciences’s groundbreaking work aligns with my passion for hybrid care, where patients can have an enjoyable and comprehensive clinic experience and continue care from the comfort of their homes, without interruptions to their daily lives,” said Dr. Tania Elliott, Chief Medical Officer at Nectar Life Sciences. “As an allergy sufferer myself, it was very difficult to determine the root cause of my symptoms until someone took the time to get a comprehensive history and understand my triggers. At the time, convenient treatment options were not available and the healthcare system was hard to navigate. With Nectar, all of that has changed – our care is thorough, accessible, cutting-edge, and allows people to feel like their best selves.”
