UK – NeoPhore, a Cambridge, UK-based small molecule neoantigen immuno-oncology company, raised £6M in an extension to its Series B funding, now totaling £21.5M.
The investors included CRT Pioneer Fund, Claris Ventures, 2Invest, 3B Future Health Fund and Astellas Venture Management.The company intends to use the funds to progress its expanding pipeline of drugs, encompassing multiple biological targets and modalities of treatment, to the start of IND-enabling studies in 2024.Led by CEO Matthew Baker, NeoPhore focuses on the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapies to treat cancer through stimulation of the immune system. Generation of cancer neoantigens in tumours can be exploited by the patients’ immune system to overcome natural defence mechanisms in cancer. The company’s approach targets the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway, which has been proven to promote neoantigen creation and subsequent immunity against numerous cancers. Using these insights, NeoPhore aims to generate next-generation immuno-oncology therapeutics to improve clinical outcomes for cancer patients.In January 2022, the company achieved all of its investment related scientific milestones significantly ahead of schedule. In February 2022, NeoPhore expanded its research partnership with St George’s, University of London after a collaboration investigating novel cancer immunotherapies, and in July 2022, the company entered a three-year research collaboration agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) to further validate the potential of its proprietary DNA mismatch repair inhibitor (MMRi) compounds to enhance tumour immunogenicity and induce tumour immunity.19/01/2023
