Myricx Bio Announces Board Changes

London, UK, 09 July 2024 – Myricx Bio (‘Myricx’), a UK biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), today announced the following board changes.

Dr Rachael Brake has stepped down as an independent Non-Executive Director.

Co-founder Professor Ed Tate has stepped down as Director but remains a Board Observer and closely involved with the company as a N-Myristoyltransferase (NMT) key opinion leader and Scientific Advisor to the company.

Michael Bauer from Novo Holdings and Lucille Conroy from Abingworth have joined the Myricx’ Board as Investor Directors. Other board directors are Chris Martin, Independent Chair, Robin Carr, CEO, and Maina Bhaman from Sofinnova and Jonathan Tobin from Brandon Capital as Investor Directors.

Chris Martin, Chairman and Non-Executive Director of Myricx Bio said, “On behalf of the board I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Rachael for everything she has done to help Myricx reach this point in the company’s evolution over the past two years. Rachael brought her +20 years’ experience in advancing therapeutic programs across various mechanisms of action and modalities in oncology and her deep experience of drug development to Myricx. Both in and outside board meetings Rachael has worked energetically to enable the company to sharpen its science strategy, and to understand how to effectively validate and position its novel NMT inhibitor platform.”

Myricx recently announced the closing of its series A financing raising £90m ($114m).

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Myricx Bio – www.myricxbio.com

Myricx Bio (“Myricx”) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-Myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets that are key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour-associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Abingworth, Brandon Capital Partners, British Patient Capital Cancer Research Horizons, Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Holdings, Sofinnova Partners.

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For further information please contact

At the Company
Dr Robin Carr, CEO, Myricx Bio
info@myricxbio.com

Media Enquiries
Sue Charles, Charles Consultants
sue@charles-consultants.com
+44 (0)7986 72658

 

Myricx Bio Announces £90m ($114m) Series A Financing to Advance its Novel NMTi-ADC Therapeutics into Clinical Development

  • £90m ($114m) series A co-led by new leading life science investors Novo Holdings and Abingworth
  • Additional new investors British Patient Capital, Cancer Research Horizons and Lilly participated alongside founding investors Brandon Capital and Sofinnova Partners
  • Funds will be used to build out Myricx Bio’s proprietary N-Myristoyltransferase inhibitor (NMTi) antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payload platform and advance its pipeline of NMTi-ADCs through clinical proof of concept targeting clinically validated tumour-associated antigens
  • Company to establish laboratory operations in London’s biotech hub, and expand its management and R&D teams
  • Michael Bauer from Novo Holdings and Lucille Conroy from Abingworth will join Myricx Bio Board of Directors

London, UK, 8 July 2024 – Myricx Bio (‘Myricx’), a UK biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), today announced the closing of its series A financing raising £90m ($114m). The round was co-led by new leading life science investors Novo Holdings and Abingworth. Additional new investors British Patient Capital (a wholly owned commercial subsidiary of British Business Bank plc, the UK government’s economic development bank), Cancer Research Horizons and Eli Lilly and Company also participated alongside founding investors Brandon Capital and Sofinnova Partners.

In connection with the financing, Michael Bauer from Novo Holdings and Lucille Conroy from Abingworth will join Myricx’s Board of Directors.

The funds will be used to build out Myricx’s proprietary N-Myristoyltransferase inhibitor (NMTi) ADC payload platform and to advance its pipeline of NMTi-ADCs through clinical proof of concept targeting clinically validated tumour-associated antigens.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to several protein targets that are key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMTi payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour-associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Myricx has shown that its initial NMTi-ADCs achieve complete and durable tumour regressions, at well-tolerated doses, in multiple solid cancer models that are refractory to Topo1i-based ADCs. In addition, these NMTi-ADCs demonstrate potent bystander activity, and deliver high efficacy in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) organoid models across a broad range of antigen expression levels.

Michael Bauer, Partner in the Venture Investments group at Novo Holdings, said: “Myricx has gained unique insights into the biology of NMT and its orthogonal and differentiated mechanism. The scientific rationale behind its novel payload chemistry gives us confidence that NMTi-ADCs have the potential to greatly expand the current repertoire of ADC applications beyond the current standard-of-care payload classes, creating opportunities for new treatment options for patients. This investment reflects our strategy of investing in highly innovative and high impact biotechs, and we look forward to supporting the progress of Myricx through the clinic.”

Lucille Conroy, Principal at Abingworth, said: “We were impressed by the compelling preclinical data validating Myricx’s first-in-class payload platform based on NMT inhibition. We are pleased to co-lead the investment with Novo Holdings and to be working with the company to advance its NMTi-ADC candidates to address serious unmet needs in oncology by offering new options to patients.”

Jonathan Tobin, Partner at Brandon Capital, said: “Having recognised the potential of NMT inhibitors as a powerful ADC payload, what Robin and the Myricx team have generated to validate that potential over the past year is truly impressive. Together with Sofinnova, we are delighted to welcome the new investors into this series A financing to join us in supporting Myricx to become a significant player in the ADC space.”

Maina Bhaman, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, said: “We’ve been strong supporters of Myricx Bio since its inception, recognising the potential of its NMT inhibition platform. We are delighted to be joined by Abingworth, Novo Holdings, Lilly, Cancer Research Horizons and British Patient Capital as we continue to champion Myricx’s ability to harness the enormous potential of ADC payloads. With these expanded resources, Myricx is poised to fully leverage its NMTi-ADC platform, advancing both its own pipeline and strategic partnerships.”

Myricx was founded by Prof. Ed Tate, Dr Roberto Solari and Dr Andrew Bell. Dr Robin Carr joined the team from GSK in 2019 and has spearheaded the company’s pivot from a focus on NMTi as small molecule drugs to their potential as ADC payloads. Myricx now has the resources to grow from a virtual company into a fully-fledged R&D company with its own laboratories and an in-house R&D team, with expanded management capabilities. Currently located in the London Kings Cross biotech hotspot and with foundations in London, having spun out of Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute, Myricx is committed to significant growth and executive presence in London.

Myricx Bio CEO, Dr Robin Carr said: “I am truly grateful for the support of our founding investors Brandon Capital and Sofinnova Partners as we developed our initial NMT inhibitor chemistry and demonstrated the potential of NMTis as ADCs. I am delighted to welcome our new investors and thank them for their support as we enter our next phase of development. Myricx now has the resources to grow into a fully-fledged R&D company with our own laboratories, and an in-house R&D team with expanded management capabilities. Consequently, we are well positioned to build on our NMTi ADC platform and advance our pipeline as we become a clinical stage company.”

Myricx has already begun the process of attracting top talent to the company. In 2023, it appointed Chris Martin, a renowned biotech company founder, director and entrepreneur, and co-founder of ADC Therapeutics SA (NYSE: ADCT), to the Board of Directors as its independent non-executive Chair. It also appointed Francesca Zammarchi PhD, previously Head of Preclinical Pharmacology at ADC Therapeutics, as its Chief Scientific Officer, and Robert McLeod MD, ex-Daiichi Sankyo, as VP Clinical Development, both of whom bring considerable ADC experience.

Notes to Editors:

About Myricx Bio – www.myricxbio.com

Myricx Bio (“Myricx”) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-Myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets that are key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour-associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Abingworth, Brandon Capital Partners, British Patient Capital, Cancer Research Horizons, Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Holdings, and Sofinnova Partners.

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About Novo Holdings A/S – www.novoholdings.dk   

Novo Holdings is a holding and investment company that is responsible for managing the assets and the wealth of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The purpose of Novo Holdings is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet by generating attractive long-term returns on the assets of the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Novo Holdings is the controlling shareholder of Novo Nordisk and Novonesis and manages an investment portfolio with a long-term return perspective. In addition to managing a broad portfolio of equities, bonds, real estate, infrastructure and private equity assets, Novo Holdings is a world-leading life sciences investor. Through its Seeds, Venture, Growth, and Principal Investments teams, Novo Holdings invests in life science companies at all stages of development.

As of year-end 2023, Novo Holdings had total assets of EUR 149 billion.

About Abingworth – www.abingworth.com

Abingworth is a leading transatlantic life sciences investment firm and part of the global investment firm Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG). Abingworth helps transform cutting-edge science into novel medicines by providing capital and expertise to top calibre management teams building world-class companies. Since 1973, Abingworth has invested in over 185 life science companies, leading to 50+ M&As and more than 75 IPOs. Our therapeutic focused investments fall into three categories: seed and early-stage, development stage, and clinical co-development. Abingworth supports its portfolio companies with a team of experienced professionals at offices in London, Menlo Park (California), and Boston.

About Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research Horizons – www.cancerresearchhorizons.com

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is one of the world’s largest non-profit investors in cancer research. CRUK has built a network of 4,000 exceptional scientists and now funds over £350 million of world-class academic research each year that has the potential to change the way we prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. Cancer Research Horizons (CRH), CRUK’s innovation arm, offers the full spectrum of translational expertise, from drug discovery and clinical capabilities, translational funding and entrepreneurial training to licensing, industry collaboration and start up creation expertise. It has played a role in the creation of 79 start-ups, with its portfolio companies raising over £3 billion in total capital. Its dedicated Ventures team focuses on early stage, high-risk companies, including one of the most challenging stages of start-up creation: attracting early-stage risk capital. The Ventures team manages the CRH Seed Fund, launched in June 2022, to accelerate more breakthroughs to patient benefit.

About Brandon Capital – www.brandoncapital.vc  

Brandon Capital is Australasia’s leading life sciences venture capital firm, with offices in Australia, New Zealand, the US and the UK. Its unique model includes proprietary deal flow through Brandon BioCatalyst, a collaboration of over 50 of ANZ’s leading medical research institutions, and its immersive corporate services structure enables portfolio companies to focus on research commercialisation. With more than 25 active companies in its portfolio, Brandon Capital has been sourcing and supporting the transition of world-leading science into world-leading businesses for nearly two decades.

About Sofinnova Partners – www.sofinnovapartners.com

Sofinnova Partners is a leading European venture capital firm in life sciences, specializing in healthcare and sustainability. Based in Paris, London and Milan, the firm brings together a team of professionals from all over the world with strong scientific, medical and business expertise. Sofinnova Partners is a hands-on company builder across the entire value chain of life sciences investments, from seed to later-stage. The firm actively partners with ambitious entrepreneurs as a lead or cornerstone investor to develop transformative innovations that have the potential to positively impact our collective future.

Founded in 1972, Sofinnova Partners is a deeply-established venture capital firm in Europe, with 50 years of experience backing over 500 companies and creating market leaders around the globe. Today, Sofinnova Partners has over €2.8 billion under management.

For further information please contact 

At the Company
Dr Robin Carr, CEO, Myricx Bio
info@myricxbio.com

Media Enquiries
Sue Charles, Charles Consultants
sue@charles-consultants.com
+44 (0)7986 72658

Enhanced Potential of Myricx’s NMT Inhibitor Payloads with Dual Senolytic and Cytotoxic Modes of Action as ADC Cancer Therapies  

Scientists Uncover Central Role of N-Myristoylation in Senescence

  • Data published today in Nature Cell Biology by Myricx collaborators at the MRC-LMS (Laboratory of Medical Sciences) led by Prof. Jesús Gil have uncovered the central role of N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) as a druggable pathway in senescence
  • Myricx’s proprietary NMT inhibitors (NMTis) were shown to have a potent senolytic effect, selectively eliminating senescent non-dividing cells
  • Clear differentiation for Myricx’s NMTi proprietary payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with dual senolytic as well as cytotoxic MOA has the potential to induce deeper and more durable tumour responses
  • Myricx has licensed exclusive IP rights to develop NMTis for senescence applications from Imperial College Innovations Limited and UKRI 

London, UK, 27 November 2023 – Myricx Bio (‘Myricx’), a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payloads based on N-Myristoyltransferase (NMT) inhibition, is pleased to announce the publication today of ground-breaking research in Nature Cell Biology1 by its collaborators at the MRC-LMS (Laboratory of Medical Sciences) that has uncovered the central role of
NMT as a druggable pathway in senescence.

Cellular senescence, the process when cells stop dividing and undergo distinct physiological changes is implicated in many diseases. Senescent or so called ‘zombie’ cells can have deleterious effects on tissue function as they are persistent and secrete many proteins. In tumours, these proteins can drive chronic inflammation, metastasis, drug resistance and tumour growth. Small-molecule drugs that selectively eliminate senescent cells, known as senolytics, provide a promising novel strategy for treating multiple diseases, including cancer, fibrotic diseases, and age-related conditions.

The research, funded by UKRI MRC and CRUK, involved a major collaborative study led by Myricx’s Scientific Consultant and Collaborator, Professor Jesús Gil, lead author of the study and Head of the Senescence Research Group at MRC-LMS, together with Myricx co-founder Professor Ed Tate, and 18 other scientists, discovered that small molecule NMTis can selectively kill senescent cancer cells.

Overall, the study demonstrated that senescent cells rely on a hyperactive secretory apparatus and that this secretory phenotype is dependent on NMT and inhibiting NMT kills senescent cells. This discovery opens up the potential to treat various senescence-associated diseases with NMTis, including cancer.

At a more detailed cellular level, this study demonstrated that coatomer complex I (COPI) vesicle formation in senescent cells is a process (vulnerability/liability) that can be targeted with COPI inhibitors, however these senolytic drugs have poor pharmacological properties. Compelling data then showed that Myricx’s proprietary potent NMTis are non-toxic senolytics that mirror the effects of (phenocopy) COPI inhibition by selectively eliminating senescent cells with improved outcomes in different in vivo proof-of-concept cancer models. Specifically, NMTi targets ARF1, a key regulator of COPI vesicle formation that needs a lipid modification (called myristoylation) to be functional.

Professor Jesús Gil, MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, and Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London added, “Our team has long been looking into senolytic targets that effectively and selectively kill senescent cells.
In a previous study, we showed the potential of repurposing existing drugs, but there are only limited drugs to choose from. In this study, we expanded our selection pool to be much larger by seeking targets in over 7,000 ‘druggable’ genes. We were thrilled to reveal previously unknown vulnerabilities of senescent cells. This opens up new possibilities for treating age-related diseases and cancer.

“A big part of the success of the project was thanks to the close collaboration with Ed Tate’s lab and all of the Myricx team. Roberto Solari, a Myricx Bio co-founder, was always there to give advice and see how we could push the project forward.”

Prof Ed Tate, Myricx co-founder and Chair of its Scientific Advisory Board, and GSK Chair of Chemical Biology at Imperial College London and a Satellite Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute said, “Our findings suggest that NMT inhibition could be a game-changer in senolytic therapy. Our potent, selective, in vivo active small molecule NMTis open exciting avenues for further research and development, as the first senolytic targeting protein lipidation.”

CEO of Myricx BIO, Dr Robin Carr said “The senolytic properties that this research has demonstrated gives our NMTi-ADCs the potential for a highly differentiated profile not addressed by any other ADCs. Combined with the cytotoxic effect of NMTis, the senolytic mechanism has the potential to induce deeper and more durable responses in treating tumours than purely cytotoxic payloads. We look forward to exploring this as we advance our drugs into clinical trials.”

Myricx has patents pending and licensed exclusive IP rights to develop NMTis as novel drugs including in senescence applications from Imperial College Innovations Limited and UKRI. The company has validated its NMTi payload platform having demonstrated in vivo pre-clinical efficacy for three NMTi-ADCs in its pipeline (B7-H3-NMTi, TROP2-NMTi, HER2-NMTi) showing complete and durable tumour regressions in multiple cancer models.

Read Nature Cell Biology 2023. Nov 27. News & Views, COPIng with senescence.

  1. COPI vesicle formation and N-myristoylation are targetable vulnerabilities of senescent cell, Nature Cell Biology, 27 November 2023 – www.nature.com/articles/s41556-023-01287-6

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Myricx Bio – www.myricxbio.com

Myricx Bio (“Myricx”) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital Partners.

Follow us on LinkedIn

For further information please contact

At the Company
Dr Robin Carr, CEO
Myricx Bio
info@myricxbio.com

Media Enquiries
Sue Charles
Charles Consultants
sue@charles-consultants.com
+44 (0)7986 726585

Myricx Bio Enters into an Exclusive Antibody License Agreement with WuXi Biologics

London, UK and Shanghai, China, 21 November 2023 – Myricx Bio (‘Myricx’), a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payloads based on N-Myristoyltransferase inhibition (NMTi), and WuXi Biologics (“WuXi Bio”) (2269.HK), a leading global Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO), today announce that they have entered into a license agreement under which Myricx will have exclusive access to a proprietary antibody that was discovered based on WuXi Bio’s integrated technology platforms.

Under the terms of the agreement, Myricx will develop the antibody into a first-in-class ADC based on its NMTi payload platform, which has a highly differentiated profile over standard payload classes, including microtubule and topoisomerase inhibitors. Myricx intends to progress the ADC through preclinical and clinical development for difficult-to-treat solid tumours. WuXi Bio will receive an upfront payment and will be eligible for development and commercialisation milestone payments, as well as royalties on net sales.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to several protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx recently highlighted the power of its NMTi payload platform across multiple tumour-associated antigens including B7-H3, TROP2, and HER2, with preclinical data presented at the 14th Annual World ADC conference in San Diego for which Myricx won the prize for Best Poster.

This is the second antibody license agreement that Myricx has entered into with a global company in the past few months as the Company builds out its pipeline of NMTi-ADCs.

Myricx CEO Dr Robin Carr said, “We are delighted to have reached this agreement with WuXi Bio, one of the top biologics CRDMOs globally. We believe that combining this leading antibody with our novel NMTi-based payload will create an ADC with significant clinical differentiation in solid tumours. Based on our positive preclinical data we believe NMTi-ADCs offer a highly differentiated mechanism of action, superb efficacy, and good tolerability across different cancer targets.”

Dr Chris Chen, CEO of WuXi Biologics, commented, “This license agreement with Myricx is another testament of our proprietary integrated platform and the ‘R’ in our CRDMO business model. We are looking forward to enabling global clients to develop more first-in-class and best-in-class biologics drugs for the benefits of patients worldwide.”

Myricx is a spin-out from two of the UK’s leading biomedical research organisations: Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute; founded to develop drugs based on the unique insights into NMT biology made by its founders Professors Ed Tate and Roberto Solari, with seed financing from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital.

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Myricx Bio – www.myricxbio.com

Myricx Bio (“Myricx”) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital Partners.

Follow us on LinkedIn

About WuXi Biologics – www.wuxibiologics.com

WuXi Biologics (stock code: 2269.HK) is a leading global Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) offering end-to-end solutions that enable partners to discover, develop and manufacture biologics – from concept to commercialization – for the benefit of patients worldwide.

With over 12,000 skilled employees in China, the United States, Ireland, Germany and Singapore, WuXi Biologics leverages its technologies and expertise to provide customers with efficient and cost-effective biologics discovery, development and manufacturing solutions. As of June 30, 2023, WuXi Biologics is supporting 621 integrated client projects, including 22 in commercial manufacturing.

WuXi Biologics views Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) responsibilities as an integral component of our ethos and business strategy, and we aim to become an ESG leader in the biologics CRDMO sector. Our facilities use next-generation biomanufacturing technologies and clean-energy sources. We have also established an ESG committee led by our CEO to steer the comprehensive ESG strategy and its implementation, enhancing our commitment to sustainability.

For further information please contact

At the Company
Dr Robin Carr, CEO
Myricx Bio
info@myricxbio.com

Media Enquiries
Sue Charles
Charles Consultants
sue@charles-consultants.com
+44 (0)7986 726585

Myricx Bio Appoints Dr Chris Martin, Biotech Entrepreneur and ADC Pioneer, as Chairman of its Board of Directors

London, UK 15 November 2023 – Myricx Bio (‘Myricx’), a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) payloads based on N-Myristoyltransferase inhibition (NMTi), today announces the appointment of Dr Chris Martin as independent Chairman to its Board of Directors. Dr Martin is a renowned biotech company founder, director and entrepreneur, and a pioneer and leader in the ADC space.

Dr Martin was instrumental in co-founding ADC Therapeutics (NYSE: ADCT) in Jan 2012 and served as its CEO since inception until May 2022. Under his leadership, ADC Therapeutics grew from a private biotech start-up to a New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listed leader in the field of ADCs with products on the global market. Chris previously co-founded and led two other biotech companies: Spirogen Ltd, an innovator of ADC payload technology, which was acquired by MedImmune, now part of AstraZeneca; and Sciona, Inc. a provider of personalised gene-based health and nutrition analyses. Alongside his role as Chairman of Myricx, he is also Chairman of the Board of Tokamak Energy Ltd, and Tagworks Pharmaceuticals BV, and a Director on the Board of Osivax SAS.

Dr Martin succeeds Prof Roberto Solari, co-founder of Myricx who is stepping down from the board but will remain closely involved as a consultant to the company contributing his extensive drug discovery experience and knowledge.

A Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a Sainsbury Management Fellow, Dr Martin holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Aston University, a DPhil in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford, and an MBA from IMD Business School.

Dr Robin Carr, Myricx CEO and Board Director, said, “We are thrilled that Chris has joined our Board and taken on the role of Chairman. He brings first-hand experience of successfully building biotech companies, and his wealth of insights and know-how in the ADC industry are unrivalled. Chris successfully translated ADC technology from the lab bench and discovery stages to regulatory approved commercial products reaching cancer patients across global markets. As we are building out our pipeline of differentiated NMTi-ADCs and progressively expanding our preclinical activities towards clinical development, Chris’s experience and guidance will be invaluable.

“I would also like to thank Roberto for his excellent contribution to the company most recently as executive chair, and we look forward to his continued active involvement as a consultant and collaborator.”

Dr Chris Martin, Chairman of Myricx said; “There is a compelling clinical need for new ADC payloads with the potential to expand ADC’s therapeutic window, and I am really impressed with Myricx’s novel NMTi payload platform, which has demonstrated a highly differentiated profile over standard payload classes. The platform has the potential to generate proprietary first-in-class NMTi-ADCs and the company’s lead candidates have shown positive preclinical data including superb efficacy, and good tolerability across different cancer targets. It is an incredibly exciting time to join the Myricx board and I look forward to working closely with its talented team, board and investors, bringing my experience of partnering ADC payloads with pharma from Spirogen and developing in house ADCs to market from ADC Therapeutics.”

To support the progression of its preclinical pipeline towards the clinic for difficult to treat solid tumours, Myricx has also recently strengthened its leadership team by appointing Dr Francesca Zammarchi, a cancer biology and ADC expert, as CSO and Dr Robert McLeod, a specialist in ADC clinical development, to the newly created position of VP Clinical Development.

Myricx is a spin-out from two of the UK’s leading biomedical research organisations: Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute; founded to develop drugs based on the unique insights into NMT biology made by its co-founders Professors Ed Tate and Roberto Solari, with seed financing from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital.

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Myricx Bio – www.myricxbio.com

Myricx Bio (“Myricx”) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital Partners.

Follow us on LinkedIn

For further information please contact

At the Company
Dr Robin Carr, CEO
Myricx Bio
info@myricxbio.com

Media Enquiries
Sue Charles
Charles Consultants
sue@charles-consultants.com
+44 (0)7986 726585

Myricx Bio Wins Best Poster at World ADC

London, UK, 19 October 2023 – Myricx Bio (‘Myricx’), a UK biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), is pleased to announce that it has won the award for Best Poster at the 14th Annual #WorldADC conference, San Diego, California, held from October 16-19, 20231.

The poster showcased new data on the preclinical efficacy of Myricx’ proprietary N-Myristoyltransferase inhibitor (#NMTi) payload platform and was selected against a large field judged by experts in the ADC field.

Accepting the award, CEO, Dr Robin Carr said: “World ADC is the preeminent gathering of experts in the ADC field. This award is an endorsement of the huge potential our platform has to create an important new class of ADC medicines.”

The data presented showed complete tumour regressions across a range of solid tumour xenograft models for NMTi-ADCs targeting three clinically validated tumour-associated antigens (B7-H3, TROP2 and HER2), as well as excellent bystander activity, and encouraging preliminary safety findings.

Congratulations to Myricx team and authors on the poster who have contributed to this work: Robin Carr, Josephine Walton, Folake Orafidiya, Nikki D’Arcy, Francesco Falciani, Sarah Spear, Katie Tyson, Iain McNeish, Tim Ritchie, Andy Bell, Ed Tate, and Roberto Solari.

1. Poster Details:

Title: N-Myristoyltransferase (NMT) inhibitors as completely novel payloads for Antibody Drug Conjugates, deliver extensive tumor regression at well tolerated doses.

Presented by: Dr Robin Carr, CEO Myricx Bio

Session: Scientific Program, Tuesday October 17, Evening Session

A copy of the poster is available on our website – HERE

 

 

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Myricx Bio – www.myricxbio.com

Myricx Bio (“Myricx”) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital Partners.

Follow us on LinkedIn

For further information please contact

At the Company
Dr Robin Carr, CEO
Myricx Bio
info@myricxbio.com                                                                             

Media Enquiries
Sue Charles, Charles Consultants
sue@charles-consultants.com
+44 (0)7986 726585

Myricx Bio to Present Preclinical Data Validating NMTi as a Novel ADC Payload Class

  • Preclinical efficacy studies validate Myricx Bio’s proprietary N-Myristoyltransferase inhibitor (NMTi) payload platform
  • Complete tumour regressions across a range of solid tumour xenograft models for NMTi-ADCs targeting three clinically validated tumour-associated antigens (B7-H3, TROP2 and HER2)
  • Encouraging initial non-human primate tolerability data presented
  • Data presentation at the 14th Annual World ADC Conference in San Diego

London, UK, 17 October 2023 – Myricx Bio (‘Myricx’), a UK biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), is presenting preclinical in vivo efficacy data for its NMTi-ADC platform and pipeline at the 14th Annual World ADC Event, San Diego, California, held from October 16-19, 20231.

Myricx’s payload platform is based on proprietary potent small molecule NMT inhibitors (NMTi). In the poster presentation Myricx reported data for three NMTi-ADCs in its pipeline. These comprise B7-H3-NMTi, TROP2-NMTi, and HER2-NMTi.

B7-H3-NMTi demonstrated complete and durable tumour regressions in multiple models of aggressive prostate cancer refractory to Topo1i-based ADCs. Initial toxicology is currently under evaluation in non-human primates.

TROP2-NMTi also demonstrated complete and durable tumour regressions in breast cancer models refractory to Topo1i-based ADCs; including the ability to regress large and established tumours that had prior exposure to a Topo1i-based ADC.

HER2-NMTi demonstrated complete efficacy, and an encouraging tolerability profile in rodents and non-human primates. In addition, it showed potent bystander activity, and efficacy in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) organoid models with a broad range of antigen expression levels.

Myricx CEO, Dr Robin Carr said: “The preclinical data generated by our three NMTi-ADCs give us confidence that the NMTi payload platform has the potential to deliver an important new ADC payload class in the treatment of solid tumours. We are looking forward to advancing our pipeline of ADCs and generating clinical data.”

  1. Poster Presentation Details:

Title: N-Myristoyltransferase (NMT) inhibitors as completely novel payloads for Antibody Drug Conjugates, deliver extensive tumor regression at well tolerated doses.

Presented by: Dr Robin Carr, CEO Myricx Bio

Session: Scientific Program, Tuesday October 17, Evening Session

A copy of the poster is available on our website – HERE

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Myricx Bio – www.myricxbio.com

Myricx Bio (“Myricx”) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital Partners.

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For further information please contact

At the Company
Dr Robin Carr, CEO
Myricx Bio
info@myricxbio.com                                                                                                            

Media Enquiries
Sue Charles, Charles Consultants
sue@charles-consultants.com
+44 (0)7986 726585

Myricx Expands its ADC Expertise with the Appointment of Francesca Zammarchi as CSO

London, UK, 4 October 2023 – Myricx Bio (‘Myricx’), a UK biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of selectively cytotoxic payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), today announces the appointment of Francesca Zammarchi Ph.D. as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO).

Dr Zammarchi joins Myricx as it accelerates the development of its pipeline of ADCs based on its first-in-class N-myristoyltransferase inhibitor (NMTi) payload platform. She brings over two decades of cancer biology research experience, including developing ADCs, gained working in the biopharma industry and in academia. At Myricx, as a senior member of the Leadership Team, she will be responsible for the company’s internal and partnered scientific programmes.

She joins Myricx from ADC Therapeutics SA (NYSE: ADCT) where she served as Head of Preclinical Pharmacology. During her 10 years at ADC Therapeutics, she worked as a cancer biologist actively involved in the discovery and evaluation of new projects for the company’s portfolio, with responsibility for preclinical pharmacology studies, and progressed multiple ADCs with novel payloads through IND to BLA. Her earlier academic career included Research Associate at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre, and Research Associate and Visiting Fellow at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr Zammarchi gained her Ph.D. in experimental and molecular oncology and her B.Sc. in molecular biology from the University of Pisa, Italy.

Welcoming Francesca to the company, Myricx CEO Dr Robin Carr said: “As we advance our unique ADC pipeline against important cancer targets, Francesca’s impressive background in ADC discovery and development provides an ideal skillset to lead our programmes as CSO. We believe our first-in-class selective cytotoxic payloads based on potent inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) will provide important advantages in the development of differentiated ADC therapeutics.”

Dr Francesca Zammarchi, CSO at Myricx, said: “Having spent over a decade in R&D of novel ADC payloads, I am impressed by Myricx’s preclinical data showing the potential of NMT inhibitors to become the backbone of a new class of ADC drugs with selective cancer cell killing activity. I look forward to working with the Myricx team to expand and advance its ADC discovery pipeline.”

Dr Zammarchi will join the Myricx Bio team at its headquarters in Kings Cross, London.

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Myricx Bio – www.myricxbio.com

Myricx Bio (“Myricx”) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of selective cytotoxic payloads for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour-associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital Partners.

Myricx Bio is the trading name of Myricx Pharma Limited.

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For further information please contact

At the Company
Dr Robin Carr, CEO
Myricx Bio
info@myricxbio.com                                                                                                                     

Media Enquiries
Sue Charles
Charles Consultants
sue@charles-consultants.com
+44 (0)7986 726585

 

Myricx Expands its Leadership Team with the Appointment of Dr. Robert McLeod as VP Clinical Development

London, UK, 13 September 2023 – Myricx Bio (‘Myricx’), a UK biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of selective cytotoxic payloads for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), today announces the appointment of Dr. Robert McLeod as Vice President (VP) Clinical Development.

In this new role, Dr. McLeod joins the Leadership Team and will be responsible for developing the clinical strategy and IND submissions as the company advances its targeted ADC pipeline towards clinical trials.

With over 20 years of drug development experience in the US and Europe, Dr. McLeod brings extensive expertise in ADC clinical development, having previously been a Senior Director and Global Clinical Lead at Daiichi Sankyo where he worked on several ADCs across multiple solid tumour types.

Prior to Daiichi Sankyo, Dr. McLeod was a Research Physician at Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development, where he focused on translational medicine and early phase oncology trials across a range of solid and haematological malignancies. In addition, he has also held roles at Emergent BioSolutions, Novartis and Chiron after having trained and worked as a physician in both Australia and the UK at the beginning of his career.

Dr. McLeod earned his medical degree at the University of Melbourne, holds an MBA from ESCP Business School in Paris, a Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine, and is a Fellow of the UK Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine.

Welcoming Robert to the company, Myricx CEO Dr. Robin Carr said: “We are very pleased to have attracted Robert to the company. He brings significant experience in the translational development of oncology drugs and in particular ADCs. This is important as we advance our ADC pipeline of proprietary monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against important cancer targets conjugated to our first-in-class selective cytotoxic payloads based on potent inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferase (NMT), a completely novel concept in the ADC space.”

Dr. Robert McLeod, Vice President Clinical Development at Myricx, said: “I am excited by the potential of NMT inhibitors as ADC payloads that can be exploited as targeted therapies with selective cancer cell killing via a unique mechanism of action. NMTi-based cytotoxic payloads will enable us to develop best-in-class ADCs to meet significant clinical needs in oncology, and I look forward to working with the team towards this goal.”

To accommodate its expansion, Myricx has recently moved into its office headquarters at the GridIron Building in London’s fast growing biotech cluster around Kings Cross. In addition, in line with its strategy to focus on the development of NMT inhibitors as novel cytotoxic payloads for ADCs, the Company has recently rebranded from Myricx Pharma to Myricx Bio.

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Myricx Bio – www.myricxbio.com

Myricx Bio (“Myricx”) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of selective cytotoxic payloads for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital Partners.

Myricx Bio is the trading name of Myricx Pharma Limited.

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For further information please contact

At the Company

Dr Robin Carr, CEO
Myricx Bio
info@myricxbio.com                                                                                                             

Media Enquiries

Sue Charles, Charles Consultants
sue@charles-consultants.com
+44 (0)7986 726585

 

Myricx Enters into Antibody License Agreement with Biocytogen

London, UK 07 September 2023 – Myricx Bio (‘Myricx’), a UK biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of selective cytotoxic payloads for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), today announces an antibody license agreement with Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd (‘Biocytogen’, HKEX: 02315), a global biotech company focusing on the discovery of novel antibody therapeutics.

The agreement will enable Myricx to develop and commercialize ADCs based on an antibody developed using Biocytogen’s proprietary RenMice® platform and will expand Myricx’s ADC pipeline of proprietary monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against important cancer targets to which it conjugates its first-in-class selective cytotoxic payloads based on potent inhibitors of N-MyristoylTransferase (NMT), a completely novel concept in the ADC space.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is developing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Under the terms of the agreement, Myricx will provide its proprietary linker and NMTi payload and Biocytogen will conjugate them with its RenMice®-derived fully human antibody to make ADCs. Biocytogen will carry out feasibility tests for these ADCs as CRO services, and upon option exercise, Myricx will be responsible for further development and commercialization. Biocytogen will receive an upfront payment and subject to exercise, Biocytogen will be eligible to receive development and commercialisation milestone payments, as well as single-digit royalties on net sales.

Myricx CEO Dr Robin Carr said: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement with Biocytogen with ground-breaking technology to develop novel antibodies for use in drug development. We believe that the combination of its antibody with our novel NMTi-based selective cytotoxic payloads will enable us to develop best-in-class ADCs to meet significant clinical needs in oncology. NMT inhibitors represent a novel class of ADC payloads that can be exploited as targeted therapies in cancer. Based on our positive proof of concept data we believe that ADC-NMTi offer huge potential for selective cancer cell killing via its unique mechanism of action.”

“Thanks to Myricx’ recognition of our antibody assets, preclinical discovery expertise and CMC capabilities,” said by Dr. Yuelei Shen, President and CEO of Biocytogen. “Myricx is a leading expert in NMTi payloads, and we believe that the combination of both company’s strengths will result in ADC drugs with first-in-class and best-in-class potentials.”

Myricx is a spin out from two of the UK’s leading biomedical research organisations, Imperial College, London and the Francis Crick Institute founded to develop drugs based on the breakthrough discoveries and the unique insights into NMT biology made by its founders Professors Ed Tate and Roberto Solari, with seed financing from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital.

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Myricx Bio – www.myricxbio.com

Myricx Bio (“Myricx”) is a UK biotech company focused on the discovery and development of a completely novel class of selective cytotoxic payloads for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), based on inhibitors of N-myristoyltransferases (NMT) for the treatment of cancer.

NMT is an enzyme that adds a specific lipid modification to a number of protein targets key to cancer cell survival. Myricx is advancing a pipeline of ADCs to address serious unmet needs in oncology based on its NMT inhibitor (NMTi) payload chemistry platform and has demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and safety across multiple solid tumour associated antigens and cancer cell types.

Based in London, Myricx is a spin out from Imperial College London and the Francis Crick Institute with investment from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital Partners.

Myricx Bio is the trading name of Myricx Pharma Limited.

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About Biocytogen – http://en.biocytogen.com.cn

Biocytogen (HKEX: 02315) is a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies. Using its proprietary RenMabTM/RenLite®/RenNano® mice platforms for fully human monoclonal, bispecific/multispecific antibody and nanobody development, Biocytogen has integrated its in vivo drug efficacy screening platforms and strong clinical development expertise to streamline the entire drug development process. Biocytogen is undertaking a large-scale project to develop first-in-class and/or best-in-class antibody drugs for more than 1000 targets, known as Project Integrum (RenMiceTM HiTS Platform). As of June 30, 2023, 50 therapeutic antibody co-development/out-licensing/transfer agreements and 42 target-nominated RenMiceTM licensing projects have been established worldwide, including several partnerships with multinational pharmaceutical companies (MNCs). Biocytogen’s pipeline is comprised of 10 core assets, with partnerships established for multiple clinical assets. Headquartered in Beijing, Biocytogen has branches in China (Haimen Jiangsu, Shanghai), USA (Boston, San Francisco), and Germany (Heidelberg).

For further information, please contact:

At the Company
Dr Robin Carr, CEO
Myricx Bio
info@myricxbio.com                                                                                                                

Media Enquiries
Sue Charles, Charles Consultants
sue@charles-consultants.com
+44 (0)7986 726585