Apollo launches Oxbridge drug discovery collaboration

Apollo will identify and assess novel, validated therapeutic targets from Oxford’s researchers for their potential to become important new medicines. Oxford’s research teams will gain access to therapeutic development expertise and programme funding from Apollo.

This is designed to provide more access to clinical trials for patients and deliver faster routes to market for new medicines arising from Oxford’s researchers.

It is another A-list Oxbridge collaboration. At the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, Cambridge’s AstraZeneca teamed up with the university to develop a life-saving vaccine that was recently shortlisted for the MacRobert engineering accolade.

Now Apollo says its drug discovery specialists will look for the potential to transform the standard of care globally by supporting the development of new medicines across areas such as oncology and immunological and inflammatory disorders.

Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, said: “We want to harness life sciences to transform the UK’s healthcare and drive economic growth. Together, Apollo and Oxford University could deliver new medicines to help us tackle cancer, autoimmune disease, and more, improving and saving thousands of lives.

“The life sciences sector is open for business under this Government. We know that the best and boldest breakthroughs happen when industry and academia join forces, backed by government, and this partnership between Apollo and Oxford is proof of exactly what can be unlocked, when we open the doors to collaboration.”

The new venture is Apollo’s sixth agreement with a university or academic research centre. The University of Oxford joins Apollo’s other five world-class research institutions: the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London, King’s College London and the Institute of Cancer Research.

Dr Richard Mason, Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Therapeutics, said: “At Apollo Therapeutics we are ambitious in our mission to translate important new research discoveries into valuable new drugs. We are therefore delighted to be collaborating with the University of Oxford, a university that is consistently at the top of global rankings for scientific research and innovation.

“We are now working together with six of the world’s top universities and research centres to transform the standard of care in major commercial markets based on breakthroughs in biology and basic medical research made by scientists at these institutions.”

Apollo Therapeutics is a portfolio biopharma company with deep roots in both the UK and US. It translates breakthroughs in biology and basic medical research into innovative new medicines.

With over 20 active therapeutic programmes, five of which are in development, the company is building a large, diversified portfolio of novel therapeutics with uncorrelated risk.

Apollo has a scalable R & D platform enabled by what it calls “an unprecedented level of access to breakthroughs in biology and basic medical research made at six of the world’s leading universities and research institutes.”

The company also in-licenses or acquires clinical-stage programmes where it has unique insights and synergies. Backed by leading specialist healthcare investors, Apollo has so far raised more than $450 million since inception.

Professor Chas Bountra, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Oxford, said: “My amazing colleagues at Oxford have numerous cutting-edge research programmes for producing novel therapeutics for patients. Apollo Therapeutics has assembled a world leading team of drug discovery and development experts. Together we are going to transform the lives of millions of patients. I am immensely excited about this collaboration.”

Mairi Gibbs, CEO at Oxford University Innovation, said: "We’re keen to provide our academic researchers with multiple avenues to realise the full potential of their cutting-edge research as quickly as possible. If we boost the funding and expertise provided to very early phase drug development programmes this will hasten their progress towards becoming medicines with the potential to licence to industry or become spinout companies.

“With the support of the research commercialisation team at Oxford University Innovation and our investment partners, we want to speed up the development of more life-saving medicines to help patients most in need.”