Malin invests in UK start-up Wren Therapeutics

Irish life sciences company Malin Corp says it has acquired a 33% shareholding of Wren Therapeutics, a newly-created biotechnology company based in Cambridge, UK, with a focus on drug discovery and subsequent clinical translation of molecules which will impact protein misfolding diseases.

Wren was spun out of the University of Cambridge, UK, and Lund University, Sweden, and was formally founded as a business entity in 2016. The company’s proprietary technology can be broadly applied to the more than 30 human protein misfolding diseases. These conditions include a number of significant and devastating major neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases as well as several non-neurological disorders including type-2 diabetes.

Under the terms of the transaction, financial terms of which were not disclosed, Malin has an option to increase its shareholding in Wren to 67%. Malin’s chief executive Kelly Martin and chief investment officer Adrian Howd will also join the Wren board of directors. Sam Cohen, Malin’s chief technology officer and Research Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge, will be closely involved with all aspects of Wren including the continued advancement of the technology and the subsequent assessment of opportunities for clinical progression.