Swiss company MoonLake leverages Cambridge in transformative year

Founded in 2021, MoonLake has grown from a clinical-stage startup to a £2.6 billion biotech company, developing its Nanobody® technology for inflammatory disease treatments.

The company is headquartered in Switzerland and has an office in Porto in Portugal. Having an office in Cambridge leverages the region’s strengths in scientific research and development, offering proximity to world-class expertise and talent, with over 50 employees based in the city – a number expected to grow in tandem with the company's upward trajectory.

MoonLake believes its success lies in very small antibodies, called nanobodies, derived naturally from camels and sharks which are being explored because of their flexibility and size allowing them to penetrate tissues more deeply, enhancing their potential as therapies for inflammatory diseases.

MoonLake’s Nanobody®, sonelokimab, is currently in 10 clinical trials across multiple rheumatology and dermatology indications. The market for MoonLake’s lead program in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a severely debilitating chronic skin condition, is projected to reach £12 billion by 2035 and, as the company advances its clinical development plans, its Cambridge hub serves as an important operational centre.

MoonLake’s rapid growth is underpinned by its robust financial position. As of the third quarter of 2024, MoonLake reported $493.9 million (£396 million) in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term marketable debt securities.

This strong financial foundation is expected to support a roadmap rich in potential catalysts and extend the company's cash runway through the end of 2026.

The company has kicked off 2025 with new trials in three new indications ahead of a transformative year for MoonLake with critical Phase 3 data readout expected for HS hotly anticipated around midyear.

The company's success is driven by an experienced leadership team, including CEO Jorge Santos da Silva, a former McKinsey Senior Partner, CSO and co-founder Prof. Kristian Reich, a renowned dermatologist, and CFO Matthias Bodenstedt, another ex-McKinsey Partner.

MoonLake's growth aligns with broader initiatives enhancing Cambridge's appeal to innovative companies. The Oxford-Cambridge Arc project aims to transform the region into the UK's fastest-growing economic area, with the potential to double its output to over £200 billion by 2050.

The recently unveiled 10-year innovation blueprint for Cambridge sets even more ambitious goals. The plan aims to double the rate of unicorn* creation, venture capital investment and the number of science and innovation companies within a decade. The initiative seeks to cement Cambridge's status as a region capable of accelerating the growth of the entire UK economy.

As MoonLake continues to grow and innovate, its presence in Cambridge not only benefits from the city’s rich scientific ecosystem but also contributes to it. The company's success story is a testament to the city’s long enduring appeal as a global hub for biotechnology and innovation, promising a bright future for both the company and the region.

*A business unicorn is a startup that reach a valuation of $1 billion and is not listed on the stock market.