Founded
2016
CEO
Rosamond Deegan
Founders
Prof. Dame Carol Robinson
Hsin Yung Yen
Jonathan Hopper
Idlir Liko
% Shareholding
31%
Stage
Drug discovery
Number of employees
40+
Raised in a Series financing in April 2022
£75.5m

All financials as at 31 December 2022

Omass website

OMass Therapeutics is an Oxford University spin-out backed by Syncona and Oxford Science Enterprises that is using novel biochemistry techniques, native mass spectrometry and custom chemistry to deliver novel medicines against highly validated but inadequately drugged targets, with a focus on immunological and rare diseases.

OMass was founded on the realisation that small molecule drug discovery has historically focused on targets that operate in relative isolation, such as enzymes. However, many of the best targets operate within a broader ecosystem such as a membrane or an intracellular complex. To drug these targets, it is necessary to also interrogate their full scope of physical interactions within this broader ecosystem, with this being the focus of the OMass pipeline.  

The platform is based on work initiated by its scientific founders in the laboratory of Professor Carol Robinson at Oxford University and is currently being applied to an exciting pipeline of novel, differentiated small molecules against membrane and complex-bound targets, with a focus on areas with low translational risk where there is high potential to take products to market.

Investment opportunity

  • Opportunity to develop differentiated small molecule drugs leveraging a world-leading Native Mass Spectrometry platform which enables unique insights into membrane proteins and protein complexes such as GPCRs and Solute Carriers – classes of targets that have been historically difficult to drug in spite of high clinical relevance and unmet need.

Unmet medical need

  • Programmes are all in indications with significant unmet medical need

Key risks

  • Attrition of potential drugs

Key competitors and risks: Syncona team view

The Omass Therapeutics pipeline

Research Pre-clinical Clinical
  • MC2 in orphan endocrine disorders

  • GPR65 in IBD

  • Gasdermin in broad immunology

  • KCC2 in epilepsy including rare epilepsy

  • SLC15A4 in lupus and other IFN-opathies

Syncona team

Martin Murphy

Martin Murphy

Martin is Chair of Syncona Investment Management Ltd. He co-founded Syncona in 2012 alongside The Wellcome Trust. Since then, Martin has been closely involved in the foundation and development of multiple Syncona companies, including: Achilles Therapeutics, Autolus Therapeutics, OMass Therapeutics, Quell Therapeutics, Anaveon, Resolution Therapeutics, and Clade Therapeutics. He is Chairman of Quel…
View Martin's biography
Position
Board observer
Qualification
PhD
Edward Hodgkin

Edward Hodgkin

Edward Hodgkin is a Managing Partner of Syncona Investment Management Ltd. He is currently CEO of Resolution Therapeutics and a Board member of OMass Therapeutics, and was previously the first CEO and a board member of Autolus Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AUTL). Within the Syncona life science team, he is involved in creation of new businesses and then fills executive roles within those companies to make…
View Edward's biography
Position
Board member
Qualification
PhD
Magdalena Jonikas

Magdalena Jonikas

Magdalena is a Lead Partner of Syncona Investment Management Ltd. She is a Director on the Boards of OMass Therapeutics, Kesmalea Therapeutics and Mosaic Therapeutics. Previously, she was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company where she specialised in pharmaceuticals Research & Development, portfolio management and Business Development and Licensing. Magdalena holds a PhD in Bioenginee…
View Magdalena's biography
Position
Board member
Qualification
PhD

OMass Therapeutics leaders and founders

Professor Dame Carol Robinson

Professor Dame Carol Robinson

Founder and Scientific Advisor
Dr Jonathan Hopper

Dr Jonathan Hopper

Founder and Vice President, Platforms
Dr Idlir Liko

Dr Idlir Liko

Founder and Director of Technology

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