News

Cambridge (UK) and Cambridge (Mass.), November 14, 2022 – Apollo Therapeutics (‘Apollo’), a portfolio biopharmaceutical company focusing on translational biology and drug development, and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, a world-leading cancer research organisation, announce they have entered into a strategic collaboration to discover and develop new cancer medicines.  The collaboration combines the strengths and resources of both organisations to bring forward the development of novel therapies for cancer patients worldwide.

As one of the world’s leading cancer research institutions, with more than 800 scientists working across the full spectrum of cancer research, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) delivers substantial expertise in cancer biology and drug discovery.  Together with its hospital partner The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the ICR also brings leading cancer clinical trial experience, including through their joint Drug Development Unit which is the leading oncology-focused Phase I trial unit in the UK.

Apollo’s translational scientists and drug development specialists, who are already developing a diverse portfolio of over 20 therapeutic programs, will work with the ICR on research programs to rapidly and efficiently progress those with the greatest promise through preclinical and clinical development and ultimately to patients globally.

Cancer remains a highly important health challenge, being responsible for around 10m deaths worldwide in 2020 according to the WHO, demonstrating the significant remaining unmet need for effective oncology treatments.*

Dr Richard Mason, Chief Executive Officer of Apollo commented:

“I am delighted to be entering into this collaboration with the ICR, an elite global cancer research organization.  The ICR has a hugely impressive track-record of scientific break-throughs and the discovery of important new medicines which have been approved and are in use globally.  I am pleased that Apollo’s strength and experience in drug discovery and development together with our unique collaboration model has attracted an institution with ICR’s credibility and capabilities, allowing us to further deliver on our strategy of capital efficient portfolio drug development, at scale.  We look forward to working with the ICR and jointly developing new medicines for cancer patients.”

Dr Kristian Helin, Chief Executive Officer of the ICR said:

“It’s a great opportunity for the ICR to be entering this strategic partnership with Apollo. By working together, I hope we can accelerate our ability to translate our scientific discoveries for the benefit of cancer patients. We are looking forward to working with Apollo”.

The ICR joins Apollo’s other top global research partners; the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, UCL and King’s College London.

*World Health Organisation (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer)

Apollo Media Contact
Rozi Morris / Agnes Stephens
Instinctif Partners
apollotx@instinctif.com
+44 207 457 2020

ICR Media Contact
Henry French
henry.french@icr.ac.uk
+44 20 7153 5315

About Apollo Therapeutics
Apollo Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company, rapidly advancing a robust pipeline of potentially transformative therapeutic programs based on breakthrough discoveries. We identify and develop pre-clinical and clinical stage assets with strong biological hypotheses and the potential to become meaningful new treatment options. Our team combines ‘drug hunters’ and deep subject matter experts who together are building an expansive and de-risked portfolio in oncology, major inflammatory disorders, and rare diseases.  Backed by leading specialist investors including Patient Square Capital and Rock Springs Capital, we have operations in Cambridge, UK, and Boston, USA. Apollo Therapeutics has core innovation sourcing and drug discovery collaborations with five of the world’s leading universities and research institutes; University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, UCL, Kings College London and the Institute of Cancer Research. With our partners, we have built translational leadership in three core areas of biological focus – immunology, cell signalling, and cell stress responses and metabolism. For more information, visit apollotherapeutics.com. 

About the ICR
The Institute of Cancer Research, London, is one of the world’s most influential cancer research institutes, with an outstanding record of achievement dating back more than 100 years. Around 800 scientists work at ICR across the full spectrum of cancer research, from basic cancer biology to clinical trials. The ICR ranked second in REF 2021, the UK government’s most recent comprehensive assessment of research quality, for overall research quality and impact, and first in biological sciences.

The ICR is also one of the world’s most successful academic institutions in industry collaboration and is especially well-known for its excellence in drug discovery. Researchers in the ICR’s Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, have discovered 21 drug candidates since 2005, of which 13 have progressed into clinical trials, in collaboration with industry partners.  The blockbuster drug abiraterone (Zytiga®) was discovered and initially developed at the ICR, and ICR science also underpinned the development of the leading PARP inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza®) in BRCA-mutant cancers.

The ICR and its hospital partner The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust are together ranked in the top four centres for cancer research and treatment worldwide, and their joint Drug Development Unit is the leading oncology-focused phase I trial unit in the UK. The ICR is also a provider of higher education of international distinction through its postgraduate degree programmes.