About Us
WHO WE ARE
We are a portfolio biopharmaceutical company based in the UK and USA. We translate breakthroughs in biology and basic medical research into innovative new medicines. With over 20 active therapeutic programs, five of which are in development, we are building a large, diversified portfolio of novel therapeutics with uncorrelated risk.
We are a team of industrially-seasoned drug discoverers, drug developers, and related roles. Together we are building a large and diversified portfolio of novel therapeutics with uncorrelated risk in a highly capital efficient manner.
OUR APPROACH
Our central premise since our inception in 2016 is that breakthroughs in the basic medical research required to create innovative new medicines are best found in the world’s top universities. However, translating these breakthroughs into new medicines is an industrial undertaking.
We match our world-class industrial drug discovery and drug development capabilities with basic medical breakthroughs made at our top university partners to create important new medicines.
We also in-license or acquire clinical-stage programs where we have unique insights and synergies arising from our discovery and preclinical activities to further accelerate the growth of our portfolio.
Our therapeutic programs are based on ideas, discoveries and inventions made by some of the top biomedical scientists in the world. We bring state-of-the-art industrial drug discovery and development expertise and capabilities to translate these breakthroughs into first-in-class and/or best-in-class new medicines to treat serious diseases.
We have no pre-set requirements for when we collaborate with academic inventors. We often collaborate very early, prior to patents, publications or lead molecules. It is the quality of the idea and the strength of the supporting evidence that counts.
OUR STRATEGY
Our strategy is based on four core pillars:
DIFFERENTIATED SCIENTIFIC ACCESS
We have a scalable R&D platform for the evergreen discovery and development of new medicines. This is enabled by 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 with whom we are partnered (University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London, Kings College London, The Institute of Cancer Research).
We also in-license or acquire clinical-stage programs where we have unique insights and synergies arising from our discovery and preclinical activities to further accelerate the growth of our portfolio.
PORTFOLIO MODEL
We are developing a large and diversified pipeline of novel therapeutics with uncorrelated risk. We focus on programs that have the potential to be first-in-class and/or best-in-class in major commercial markets.
CAPITAL EFFICIENCY
We are developing a large and diversified portfolio of novel therapeutics with uncorrelated risk. This is a capital intensive undertaking and it is essential that we are highly capital efficient in all that we do. There are many design decisions behind our company that drive capital efficiency.
EXCELLENCE IN DECISION-MAKING
How we make decisions is a core component of our strategy, especially with respect to our portfolio and which programs we choose to progress and which we do not. There are many design decisions behind our company that facilitate excellence in decision-making.
Learn more about our strategy
StrategyOUR HISTORY
Founded in 2016, we have remained true to our central premise of matching breakthroughs in basic medical research at the world’s top universities with industrial drug discovery and development to develop a large and diversified portfolio of therapeutics in a highly capital efficient manner.
2016
Formation and initial $50m financing
Apollo Therapeutics was initially founded as joint venture partnership between three of the world's leading research universities (University of Cambridge, UCL, and Imperial College) and three of the world's top pharmaceutical companies (Johnson & Johnson, GSK, and Astra Zeneca). The aim then, as now, was to create innovative new medicines by matching breakthroughs in basic medical research made at the universities with industrial drug discovery experts hired into Apollo Therapeutics. Our first location was at the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (pictured) on the GSK site. We are now headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with our US operations based in Boston.
2016 - 2020
Early years
During its first few years, Apollo Therapeutics steadily grew its portfolio to over 15 potentially first-in-class and / or best-in-class therapeutic programs based on advances in basic medical research made at its partner universities, with the Apollo Therapeutics team leading the drug discovery. A number of programs were successfully out-licensed at this time.
2021
Series B financing to create independent portfolio biopharma company
In 2021 management, together with US private equity firm Patient Square Capital, led a Series B financing raising $145m to establish Apollo Therapeutics as an independent portfolio biopharma company. The original six joint venture partners retained equity in the new company, and new expanded partnership arrangements were put in place with the universities (University of Cambridge, UCL, and Imperial College) for unprecedented levels of access.
2021
Apollo Therapeutics establish US operations
Apollo Therapeutics establishes US operations, with teams in Boston and Chicago. Company embarks on a major expansion, hiring new team members in UK and USA and building drug development capabilities in addition to discovery.
2022
King's College London and the Institute of Cancer Research partner with Apollo Therapeutics
King's College London and the Institute of Cancer Research partner with Apollo Therapeutics under the same arrangements as with University of Cambridge, UCL, and Imperial College.
2022
Company makes first acquisition
During 2022 Apollo Therapeutics acquired the anti-IL-18 mAb camoteskimab (our AP43 program). IL-18 became a target of interest as a result of prior internal research on the inflammasome and also strong human genetic evidence including multiple published Mendelian randomization studies providing strong inference of causality for IL-18's role in atopic dermatitis and several other conditions.
2023
Series C financing
During 2023 the company closed a $260m Series C financing.
2024
Multiple programs enter clinical development
During early 2024 Apollo Therapeutics transitioned to being a multi-clinical asset company, with four programs in clinical development.
2024
University of Oxford Partners with Apollo
During 2024 the University of Oxford partners with Apollo