ARC Oxford welcomes oncology spinout Yellowstone Biosciences
Yellowstone Biosciences has moved in at ARC Oxford to pioneer soluble bispecific TCR-based therapies for cancer.
Spun out this June from the University of Oxford and backed by Oxford University Innovation (OUI), the startup is taking 8,000 sq ft of fully fitted CL2 lab and office space at the campus.
Yellowstone was formed around the research of Professor Paresh Vyas, a renowned academic and practising clinician with a specialist focus on acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
Having secured £16.5 million in Series A funding from lead investor Syncona Limited, the team will progress operational build, lead programme and potential pipeline expansion from their new HQ.
Professor Paresh Vyas, co-founder and chief scientific officer at Yellowstone, said: “Frequently expressed antigens that can be targeted therapeutically are notoriously difficult to find but, through two decades of research, we’ve identified a new class of targets that have potential to treat cancer and extend patient’s lives.
“We believe that our technology has the potential to selectively kill tumour cells, whilst sparing healthy cells, in a range of cancers.”
The company joins more than 35 science and tech organisations at ARC Oxford, including Oxford Biomedica, MiroBio and OMass Therapeutics.
David Williams, senior director of leasing at ARC, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Yellowstone Biosciences to our thriving life sciences cluster at our ARC Oxford Campus.
“Given the rapid pace of growth of research-intensive businesses in Oxford and spinouts from Oxford’s universities, it’s crucial that we deliver a consistent, diverse and flexible supply of laboratory and technical space, to support both established companies and those in their infancy.
“Yellowstone’s move to ARC Oxford into a fully fitted lab and office space at Series A is a remarkable achievement and is testament to our commitment of ensuring Oxford remains a thriving hub of innovation.
“We look forward to supporting Yellowstone Biosciences on their exciting growth journey as they develop groundbreaking therapies to treat cancer and transform patients’ lives.”
Dr Benedicte Menn, senior investment manager at Oxford University Innovation, added: “With ambition to become a world class UK company, Yellowstone is our latest spinout from the University of Oxford.
“The company has potential to treat and extend the life of patients with different forms of cancer, starting with acute myeloid leukaemia.
“We’re delighted that Yellowstone and Syncona are partnering on this launch and look forward to tracking the progress of the pipeline.”
