Medicines Discovery Catapult invests £1m in UK biotech firms

The Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) has invested a total of £1 million into two UK-based biotechnology companies to accelerate the development of therapeutic platforms for chronic diseases. Each company, Flip Therapeutics and Nascent Therapeutics, will receive £500,000 in funding, which was made available through a scheme from Innovate UK.

Flip Therapeutics is working on a platform designed to reprogram T cells directly within the body (in vivo). The goal is to convert disease-driving T cells into anti-inflammatory cells to provide long-lasting control over autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, such as psoriasis and alopecia areata. The funding will support the validation of therapeutic payloads and the integration of nanoparticle delivery technology.

Nascent Therapeutics, a spin-out from the University of East Anglia, is focusing on therapies based on mitochondrial biology. Its primary research target is Parkinson’s disease, with the potential to expand into other neurodegenerative and age-related conditions.

In addition to the financial investment, MDC will provide both companies with translational drug discovery expertise and access to its network of scientific and commercial advisors and partners.