TIDMIPO
IP Group PLC
19 December 2016
19 December 2016
IP Group plc announces the creation of Wellcome Trust Sanger
Institute spin-out company, Microbiotica
Based on ground-breaking research at the Sanger Institute into
the role of the human microbiome in disease
Goal is to create the world's leading company focused on
microbiome biology and its use in medicine
IP Group co-leads GBP8m funding round with Cambridge Innovation
Capital
IP Group plc (LSE: IPO) ("IP Group"), the developer of
intellectual property-based businesses, is pleased to announce the
creation of Microbiotica Ltd ("Microbiotica"), a newly formed
spin-out company from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute ("the
Sanger Institute") established to commercialise the Sanger
Institute's ground-breaking research into the role of the human
microbiome in disease.
IP Group is co-leading this investment with Cambridge Innovation
Capital plc ("CIC"), a Cambridge-based investor in technology and
healthcare companies in which IP Group is a shareholder, with a
GBP4m contribution from each party to provide total initial funding
of GBP8m. This reflects IP Group and CIC's ongoing partnership
under which they share information on investment and co-investment
opportunities in the Cambridge Cluster.
Recognition of the importance to human health of the trillions
of bacteria that reside in the human intestine - known as the gut
microbiome - has created major opportunities in the diagnosis and
treatment of a wide range of diseases including cancer, infection
and metabolic, neurological and autoimmune disorders. The Sanger
Institute team, led by Dr Trevor Lawley, has been at the forefront
of this research, having built one of the world's most extensive
collections of cultured human gut bacteria with associated genome
analysis, along with humanised models for the development of
therapeutics based on live bacteria. Microbiotica has been granted
unique access to these resources and will use the funding from IP
Group and CIC to establish labs within the Wellcome Genome Campus
at Hinxton, Cambridge, and to progress multiple live
bacteriotherapy programmes into development.
Sam Williams, Head of Biotech at IP Group, said, "We are
delighted to be partnering with both CIC and the Sanger Institute
to develop what promises to be an exciting new commercial approach
to the microbiome. By exploring the fundamentals of gut flora
distribution and genetics, Microbiotica has an opportunity to take
a lead in understanding how the microbiome can be used to not only
develop new therapeutics for a range of diseases, but also how to
stratify patients according to their microbial profile, identify
links with disease and exploit its full potential for human
healthcare. This investment reflects IP Group's approach to new
company formation in the biotech sector, backing only the science
which promises to bring about revolutionary approaches to human
medicine and the teams that can deliver them."
Microbiotica's science will be directed by Dr Lawley, who will
be Chief Scientific Officer. The company will be led by Dr Mike
Romanos who, as Chief Executive Officer, brings a wealth of
experience as a seasoned drug discoverer and entrepreneur in the
biotech sector. Dr Romanos previously held senior global roles in
GSK and, as CEO, built Crescendo Biologics. Both CIC and IP Group
will each appoint a director to the board of Microbiotica.
Mike Romanos, CEO of Microbiotica, said, "It has been a
privilege to work with my co-founders to create the concept of
Microbiotica as a leading player in microbiome-based therapeutics.
We are very excited to be working with IP Group and CIC to now turn
the vision into reality as we start to build the company, based at
the Wellcome Genome Campus, leveraging the strengths of the Sanger
Institute to create new medicines."
For more information, please contact:
IP Group plc www.ipgroupplc.com
Alan Aubrey, Chief Executive
Officer +44 (0) 20 7444 0050
Greg Smith, Chief Financial
Officer +44 (0) 20 7444 0062/+44
Liz Vaughan-Adams, Communications (0) 7979 853802
Charlotte Street Partners
Andrew Wilson +44 (0) 7810 636995
Sanger Institute press office press.office@sanger.ac.uk
Dr Samantha Wynne, Press Officer +44 (0) 1223 492368
Notes for editors
About the Sanger Institute's research into the microbiome and
its relationship with Microbiotica
The Sanger Institute's microbiome research has been largely
conducted within its Host-Microbiotica Interactions Laboratory
("HMIL"), led by Dr Trevor Lawley, in collaboration with the
Professor Gordon Dougan research group. The Sanger Institute teams
have made significant breakthroughs in the analysis and
understanding of the human microbiome, combining an extensive DNA
sequencing capability with novel culturing methods to build a
first-in-class gut microbiome culture collection and reference
genome library. Since 2010, Dr Lawley's group has cultured and
sequenced the genome of thousands of bacterial strains from the gut
of humans, representing the world's largest culture collection of
intestinal bacteria. This has given the group important new
insights into the association of these bacteria with a range of
diseases. Added to this, the group has developed a leading
expertise in humanised models for the development of live bacterial
therapeutics and exceptional bioinformatics capability.
Microbiotica will use its access to these resources to gain
unparalleled insights into the microbial communities in both
healthy and diseased individuals, enabling the identification of
specific disease-related bacteria, patient-stratification
strategies and novel therapeutics. Microbiotica has also been
granted exclusive rights to existing potentially therapeutic
bacterial mixes that have shown striking effects in novel models of
disease, and which will be progressed into pre-clinical development
over the coming year.
About IP Group
IP Group is a leading intellectual property commercialisation
company which focuses on evolving great ideas, mainly from its
partner universities, into world-changing businesses. The Group has
pioneered a unique approach to developing these ideas and the
resulting businesses by providing access to business building
expertise, capital (through its 100%-owned FCA-authorised
subsidiary IP Capital), networks, recruitment and business support.
IP Group has a strong track record of success and its portfolio
comprises holdings in approximately 80 early-stage to mature
businesses across four main sectors -- Biotech, Cleantech,
Healthcare and Technology. The Company is listed on the Main Market
of the London Stock Exchange under the code IPO.
For more information, please visit our website at
www.ipgroupplc.com.
About the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is one of the world's
leading genome centres. Through its ability to conduct research at
scale, it is able to engage in bold and long-term exploratory
projects that are designed to influence and empower medical science
globally. Institute research findings, generated through its own
research programmes and through its leading role in international
consortia, are being used to develop new diagnostics and treatments
for human disease.
For further information please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk
About Cambridge Innovation Capital
Cambridge Innovation Capital ("CIC") combines a unique
relationship with the University of Cambridge with deep financial
and industry links to invest in rapidly growing intellectual
property rich companies in the Cambridge Cluster.
CIC has an unrivalled appreciation for the application of
world-leading scientific developments given its position within the
Cambridge Cluster. The company is committed to building leading
businesses from brilliant technologies - with the support of some
of the most influential figures in the sector and a patient capital
structure.
For further information, including more details of CIC portfolio
companies, see www.cicplc.co.uk
ENDS
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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