Oxford: Royds Withy King helps biotech firm secure £6.5m investment

Corporate lawyers from Royds Withy King have helped Oxford Genetics, an Oxford-based biotechnology business which specialises in biological drug development, to secure a £6.5 million syndicated investment which will further secure its position as a market-leading innovator of synthetic biology-based technologies.

The cash injection values Oxford Genetics, which is based at Oxford Science Park, at £30.5m.

Royds With King’s life sciences legal specialists advised Ryan Cawood, founder and CEO of Oxford Genetics, and his team on the terms of their latest syndicated round comprising Mercia Technologies, Invesco Asset Management and Canaccord Genuity.

Iain Butler, corporate partner at Royds Withy King, (pictured) led on the deal and was assisted by Jennifer Sampson and Emma Hough.

Butler said: “We were very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Ryan and his team on this latest round of syndicated investment funding which will further fuel Oxford Genetics’ ground-breaking work in the fields of cell and gene therapy.  Oxfordshire has a growing hub of world class life sciences businesses and it is a privilege to be involved with many of them.”

Commenting on the funding deal, Ryan Cawood said: “We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Royds Withy King. We were very pleased with the support they provided throughout the process and their expertise was invaluable in helping us to negotiate our latest funding round.

“This significant investment will enable Oxford Genetics to further secure its market-leading position in the expanding fields of CRISPR, gene therapy and antibody engineering. Through our continued investment in automation and optimising our commercialisation strategy, we aim to maximise shareholder value and exceed our ambitious growth targets.”

Royds Withy King is heavily involved with the life sciences sector. The firm held a ‘Life After Brexit’ event at The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, which sparked rich discussions on the opportunities to ensure the UK remains a leading place in the world to develop and launch innovative medicines, technologies and diagnostics.

More than 70 guests turned up to hear professor Chas Bountra, pro vice-chancellor, Innovation, at Oxford University, and Bill Haynes, head of site at Novo Nordisk Research Centre in Oxford talk about the issues, before taking part in a lively question and answer discussion chaired by Labour peer Stewart Wood with panellists including Priya Mande, chief operating officer from PsiOxus, Stephen Conway, director of research services at the University of Oxford, and Royds Withy King partner Claus Anderson, who heads up the firm’s Brexit taskforce and life sciences team.

Royds Withy King also supports a series of initiatives at Harwell Campus as well as events on innovation in science and technology run by The Bessemer Society.