Investment and expert support will help accelerate the development of new treatments for a range of autoimmune, inflammatory, and age-related diseases
Two UK biotechs developing novel approaches to treating diseases such as psoriasis and Parkinson’s have secured investment and strategic support from Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) to accelerate their progress.
Flip Therapeutics and Nascent Therapeutics will each receive £500,000 in funding made available by Innovate UK as part of a scheme that enabled Catapults to invest in high-potential companies.
Alongside the investment, MDC, which helps turn drug discovery into commercial breakthroughs, will provide the companies with translational drug discovery expertise and access to its network of advisors and partners.
This unique combination of capital, scientific expertise and strategic support will help Flip and Nascent reduce risk, accelerate progress, and strengthen their platforms, getting new medicines to patients faster.
Flip Therapeutics is developing a new therapeutic approach designed to programme T cells directly in the body to generate long-lasting, controlled immune function in patients with chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as alopecia areata and psoriasis. These diseases represent a significant burden for patients and healthcare systems, affecting an estimated one in 10 people in the UK.
T cells are a type of immune cell involved in many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. When there is an imbalance between specific T cell subtypes, it can cause inflammation, which results in damage to healthy tissue. Flip’s platform is based on the premise that disease-driving T cells can be reprogrammed in vivo, flipping them into anti-inflammatory cells that could restore balance and resolve inflammation for the long term.
This powerful strategy both reduces the number of local disease-causing cells and rebuilds protective immune cells where they are needed most, opening the potential for a new class of immune medicines.
Dr David Pajerowski, co-founder and CEO of Flip Therapeutics, said:
“Medicines Discovery Catapult’s recognition of Flip is a meaningful vote of confidence in the science, the team, and the development path ahead. This combination of financial support and access to expertise gives us the opportunity to execute the experiments that matter most at this stage: validating our payloads, integrating them with nanoparticle delivery technology, and demonstrating that in vivo T cell reprogramming can become a scalable therapeutic platform.”
Nascent Therapeutics, a University of East Anglia spinout, is using mitochondrial biology to treat neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and other age-related conditions, such as COPD and osteoporosis. MDC is a co-investor alongside venture builder Zinc.
Mitochondria are essential components of every cell and are crucial to survival. In addition to generating energy to power cells, they regulate metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress. As mitochondrial function declines with age, cells become less resilient, accumulate damage and struggle to meet energy demands, contributing to ageing and disease development.
Nascent is building a platform to regulate mitochondrial transfer using tunnelling nanotube formation, the biological process through which cells exchange mitochondria and other cellular components in a controlled manner. A growing body of evidence suggests this process may have a fundamental role in ageing and the pathology of diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Through its approach of boosting and restoring mitochondrial transfer, Nascent aims to develop a new class of disease-modifying therapies to address a significant unmet patient need, initially focused on Parkinson’s disease.
Stuart Wood, co-founder and CEO of Nascent Therapeutics, said:
“MDC have been highly supportive and engaged investors from the outset. With this funding, we will develop our pipeline and platform as we work to develop truly novel therapies for Parkinson’s and other ageing diseases, and we look forward to continuing to work with MDC as both investors and scientific partners.”
Dr Mike Strange, Interim CEO of Medicines Discovery Catapult, said:
“By combining exciting science with the right support, we can help accelerate the journey towards new treatments for the patients who need them. The funding from Innovate UK enables us to back Flip Therapeutics and Nascent Therapeutics in developing innovative approaches to tackling diseases that affect so many people.
“These investments reflect Medicines Discovery Catapult’s commitment to supporting innovative UK companies creating the next generation of medicines. By providing a unique combination of capital, translational expertise and strategic guidance, we will help de-risk the companies’ therapeutic platforms and unlock their potential to deliver benefits for patients.”
Dave Wilkes, Director – Innovation Ecosystem at Innovate UK, said:
“These investments are one way that Innovate UK and the Catapult Network are working together to scale high-potential businesses in the UK, in line with Innovate UK’s strategic Prospectus. This is a novel way of getting capital funding into the hands of businesses and strengthens the Catapults’ ability to back early-stage companies developing disruptive technologies. By supporting high-potential businesses and connecting them with the right expertise, partners and infrastructure, we’re helping to maximise their chances of scaling successfully, contributing to a stronger UK economy.’’