TLDR:
- Syncona has added two cancer biotechs, iOnctura and Yellowstone, to its growing portfolio.
- iOnctura received 80 million euros in series B financing, with Syncona contributing 30 million euros.
Syncona, a London-based investment firm, has expanded its portfolio by adding two new cancer biotechs. The first company, iOnctura, received 80 million euros in series B financing, with Syncona contributing 30 million euros. This brings the total funds available to the biotech to over $100 million. iOnctura is focused on developing roginolisib, described as the first allosteric modulator of PI3Kδ. The drug has shown promising results in a phase 1b trial for the treatment of uveal melanoma, with plans to expand into other cancer indications such as non-small cell lung cancer and primary myelofibrosis.
The second biotech added to the portfolio is Yellowstone, a preclinical company based in the U.K. The company, spun out of the University of Oxford, received £16.5 million in series A funds from Syncona. Yellowstone aims to develop therapeutics targeting HLA class II presented peptides on the surface of cancer cells, with a focus on AML but also considering other common cancers like ovarian, lung, colorectal, prostate, breast, renal, and melanoma.
Both iOnctura and Yellowstone represent valuable additions to Syncona’s expanding portfolio in the oncology space, with potential for significant advancements in cancer treatment.
