Two UK biotechnology companies developing new approaches to autoimmune, inflammatory and age-related diseases have secured funding and strategic support from Medicines Discovery Catapult.
Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) has invested in Flip Therapeutics and Nascent Therapeutics as part of an Innovate UK-backed initiative designed to support high-potential UK life science companies.
Each company will receive £500,000 in funding, alongside access to MDC’s translational drug discovery expertise, strategic guidance and wider network of scientific and commercial partners.
Flip Therapeutics is developing an approach to reprogramme T cells directly within the body, with the aim of restoring immune balance in chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Its platform could potentially support new treatments for conditions including psoriasis and alopecia areata.
Nascent Therapeutics, a spinout from the University of East Anglia, is focused on mitochondrial biology and its role in ageing and disease. The company is developing technology designed to regulate mitochondrial transfer between cells, initially targeting Parkinson’s disease, with potential applications across other neurodegenerative and age-related conditions.
MDC said the combination of investment, scientific expertise and strategic support is intended to help both companies reduce development risk, strengthen their technology platforms and accelerate promising therapies towards clinical development.
The investments also underline a wider drive to help early-stage UK biotechnology businesses translate novel science into commercially viable medicines for areas of significant unmet patient need.
