Syncona and UCL Business form cancer immunotherapy company Autolus

Investment company Syncona and UCL Business, the wholly-owned technology transfer company of University College London, have launched Autolus Limited, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of next-generation engineered T-cell therapies for hematological and solid tumors.

Syncona has committed £30 million ($45.5 million) to Autolus in a Series A financing. The new company is founded on the work of Martin Pule, an academic clinical hematologist and thought-leader in T-cell engineering. Dr Pule, chief scientific officer of Autolus, said: “It is exciting to be involved in Autolus, where we have an opportunity to bring innovative new therapeutic approaches to patients who often have no alternative treatment path. The key will be to remain at the cutting-edge of T-cell engineering to create a new generation of programmed T-cells acting as autonomous agents to kill tumor cells. What we’ve seen so far in the CAR T-cell field is only the beginning.”

In addition Christian Itin, former chief executive of Micromet and a leader in the cancer immunotherapy field, has joined the company as chairman. Dr Itin added: “A key element of Autolus’ strategy is to progress CAR T-cell products quickly into clinical trials, leveraging our strong partnership with UCL. The company has engaged a team of thought-leading academics in London as advisors, and will perform its Phase I clinical studies and manufacturing within the academic infrastructure of the city, including the integrated cancer clinical trials infrastructure at University College Hospital and the expert cell therapy manufacturing facility at the UCL Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital.”