News

Apollo Therapeutics will inject capital and expertise into pipeline of potentially lifesaving medicines through an agreement with the University of Oxford.
 
Collaboration highlights a shared strategic intent to develop new therapeutics based on breakthroughs in biology and basic medical research at the University of Oxford.

Oxford, U.K., & Boston, U.S.A., 22 July, 2024 – The University of Oxford (“Oxford”), one of the world’s leading research institutions and Apollo Therapeutics (“Apollo”), a portfolio biopharmaceutical company, announce the signing of a drug discovery and development collaboration aimed at translating breakthroughs made by biomedical researchers at Oxford.

Under the agreement, Apollo will identify and assess novel, validated therapeutic targets from Oxford’s researchers for their potential to become important new medicines. Whilst Oxford’s research teams will gain access to therapeutic development expertise and programme funding from Apollo. This will provide more access to clinical trials for patients and deliver faster routes to market for new medicines arising from Oxford’s researchers.

The collaboration is driven by the quality of science and the burgeoning innovation environment at Oxford that has elicited a critical mass of early drug development translational research programmes. Apollo’s drug discovery experts 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.”

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.”

This latest collaboration, Apollo’s sixth agreement with a university or academic research centre, will bring the in-house expertise and resources of Apollo to Oxford’s world class researchers from across the university. It will further bolster Apollo’s scalable R&D platform for the evergreen discovery and development of new medicines.

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.”

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. Mairi Gibbs, Chief Executive Officer of 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.”

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Apollo Therapeutics
Jamie Heath, Chief Financial Officer
Jamie.Heath@apollotx.com
Kay Penicud PhD, Vice President and Head of Research Partnerships
kay.penicud@apollotx.com

Apollo Therapeutics Media Enquiries
Ben Atwell / Simon Conway / Alex Davis – UK
Jim Polson / Matt Ventimiglia – US
FTI Consulting: ApolloTherapeutics@fticonsulting.com
+44 (0) 20 3727 1000 – UK +1 (212) 850 2654 – US

Oxford University Innovation
Andrea Stewart, Head of Communications & Marketing
andrea.stewart@innovation.ox.ac.uk
+44 7443 239245

Oxford University Innovation Media Desk
Sodali: Maria Sizyakova and Ben Glaze
oui@sodali.com

About University of Oxford
Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the eighth year running, and number 3 in the QS World Rankings 2024. At the heart of this success are the twin-pillars of our ground-breaking research and innovation and our distinctive educational offer. Oxford is world-famous for research and teaching excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Our work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of our research alongside our personalised approach to teaching sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.

Through its research commercialisation arm, Oxford University Innovation, Oxford is the highest university patent filer in the UK and is ranked first in the UK for university spinouts, having created more than 300 new companies since 1988. Over a third of these companies have been created in the past five years. The university is a catalyst for prosperity in Oxfordshire and the United Kingdom, contributing £15.7 billion to the UK economy in 2018/19, and supports more than 28,000 full time jobs.

About Oxford University Innovation
Oxford University Innovation (OUI) is the research commercialisation office of the University of Oxford, recognised worldwide for its ability to engage academic prowess through licensing, catalyse innovative solutions through consulting services, and support the creation of spinouts, start-ups, and social ventures. OUI is dedicated to showcasing the impact of these transformative technologies on the global stage, bridging the realms of academia and the commercial world, thereby weaving a future where knowledge, innovation and partnership drive forward solutions to global challenges.
Visit: https://innovation.ox.ac.uk/innovation-news/news/

About Apollo Therapeutics
Apollo Therapeutics is a portfolio biopharmaceutical company based in the UK and USA. Apollo 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 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 health care investors, Apollo has raised a total of over $450m since its inception.
Visit www.apollotx.com