Dr John McCafferty (CEO and co-founder) and Dr Aneesh Karatt Vellatt (CSO and co-founder).
Maxion Therapeutics (“Maxion”), the biotechnology company developing antibody-based drugs for previously untreatable ion channel- and GPCR-driven diseases, is relocating to The Works, Unity Campus, located just outside Cambridge, UK. The company is moving from its previous site at the Babraham Research Campus to an over 7,600 sq ft facility to support further growth.
The move follows Maxion’s successful USD $16 million (GBP £13 million) pre-Series A fundraise in February 2023, and the award of £2 million Innovate UK funding, to support the development of novel biologics targeting ion channels and G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) via Maxion’s proprietary, patent-protected KnotBody® platform.
John McCafferty, CEO, Maxion Therapeutics commented on the move:
“Our team has rapidly grown this year, with the corresponding need for expanded facilities in the Cambridge area. We are excited to move to Unity Campus as we accelerate the development of our innovative pipeline of candidate therapeutics – with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life of patients with debilitating disease conditions.”
Dr John McCafferty
Maxion Therapeutics team.
Katherine Friend, Director Investment & Asset Management, Howard Group added:
“We are thrilled that Maxion Therapeutics has joined the Unity Campus community, and particularly pleased to welcome John McCafferty and Aneesh Karatt Vellatt back with their latest venture.
Maxion joins an exciting and innovative Campus community which, in addition to undertaking ground-breaking research, also values the opportunity to interact and collaborate with each other outside the lab within the Campus ecosystem. The Campus team provide a regular series of networking, professional development and social events to facilitate these interactions and we look forward togetting to know the Maxion Therapeutics team as they settle in over the next few weeks.”
Katherine Friend
Unity Campus is well known to Maxion’s senior team. Prior to founding Maxion, CEO John McCafferty and CSO Aneesh Karatt Vellatt co-founded antibody discovery company IONTAS, which moved to The Works in 2021 to facilitate a major expansion drive. IONTAS was then acquired by FairJourney Biologics in 2020. Maxion’s move to The Works means its co-founders will be close neighbours to their previous company (IONTAS).
About Maxion Therapeutics
Maxion Therapeutics is developing novel biologic medicines for ion channels and GPCRs, critical cell surface proteins involved in a wide range of previously untreatable or poorly-treated diseases, including autoimmune conditions and chronic pain. It is applying its patented KnotBody® technology to generate potent, selective, and long-acting antibody-like target modulators. KnotBody technology combines the power of millions of years of cysteine-rich miniprotein (‘Knottin’) evolution with state-of-the-art phage and mammalian display technologies to address key challenges in drug discovery.
Based at the Babraham Institute, in Cambridge, UK, Maxion Therapeutics is driven by an experienced team with an excellent track record. CEO and co-founder Dr John McCafferty (previously co-founder of Cambridge Antibody Technology and IONTAS) and CSO and co-founder Dr Aneesh Karatt Vellatt (also co-founder of IONTAS) co-invented KnotBody technology. Dr McCafferty previously co-invented antibody phage display, which was the subject of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The company is currently developing its KnotBody pipeline, including candidates with significant potential to be first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutics.
About Howard Group (owners of Unity Campus)
Established in 1935 and with headquarters in the centre of Cambridge, Howard Group is a leading regional property investor and developer with a property investment portfolio of nearly £250m, made up of 24 properties, 1 million sq ft of occupied space and with 88 tenants and counting. The Group is also a collaborative and patient investment partner, supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs developing meaningful, knowledge-intensive businesses. Howard Group invests in and develops high-quality and innovative places that have a positive long-term impact on the environment and the people in and around them. Whether it’s a state-of-the-art student accommodation scheme, a campus environment specifically tailored to support Cambridge’s burgeoning life science and innovation sectors or an industrial hub positioned within one of the most exciting regeneration and growth areas in London, the Group’s objective is to make sure these places meet the needs of those who interact with them, both now and into the future, leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.
Find out more: www.howard-ventures.com
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