ALTx Therapeutics launches into the Slingshot accelerator with £12.55 million of funding

Based on the pioneering work of British scientist Simon Boulton, ALTx leverages fundamental insights in cancer cell immortalisation to develop novel treatments for cancer 

Spinning out of The Francis Crick Institute, ALTx will be advanced by Slingshot in collaboration with the Crick with funding from Syncona, the Crick and Cancer Research Horizons

Slingshot Therapeutics Limited (“Slingshot”), the Syncona Accelerator, built to identify, de-risk and advance therapeutic programmes from the work of leading academic researchers, today announces the launch of ALTx Therapeutics (“ALTx”), with an initial funding commitment of £12.55 million from Syncona, the Francis Crick Institute (“the Crick”), and Cancer Research Horizons (CRH).

Spinning out of the Crick, ALTx is focused on developing therapeutics targeting vulnerabilities in cancers that rely on the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (“ALT”) pathway, a mechanism by which cells in 10-15% of all cancers become immortal. ALT activation is cancer specific and presents a unique opportunity to create precision medicines. ALTx will pursue a series a novel first-in-class targets identified by Simon Boulton and the broader Crick team.

ALTx is the second spin out to be launched into the Slingshot accelerator, following Apini, a small molecule programme originating from the University of Manchester. Slingshot was created by Syncona to identify early-stage drug discovery programmes from leading research institutions and translate these innovations into drug candidates that are ready for the clinic. As such, scientific founders continue to drive their ideas forward whilst benefitting from Slingshot’s centralised management team, expertise, resource and operational support.

ALTx is based on the pioneering research of British scientist Simon Boulton, who is world-renowned for his work in DNA damage repair and telomere maintenance. As scientific founder and CSO, Simon will continue to lead ALTx’s development. Simon is a Principal Group Leader at the Crick and has received numerous prestigious awards for his work within the oncology space, notably the EMBO Gold Medal, the Paul Marks Prize and election to the Fellowship of the Royal Society. Simon has extensive experience in the space, including as co-founder and Vice President Science Strategy at Artios Pharma, a company he helped establish in 2016. Artios has developed a portfolio of assets that target the DNA damage response, several of which are showing considerable promise in the clinic with the potential to transform cancer therapy.

Edward Hodgkin, Executive Chair, Slingshot Therapeutics said: “Joining Slingshot’s pipeline alongside Apini, ALTx is another example of exceptional science identified for acceleration from the UK’s world-class research base. The programme is based on pioneering research that has systematically explored, identified and characterised ALT pathway vulnerabilities in cancer. We look forward to working closely with Simon and the Crick to unlock the untapped clinical potential of the ALT pathway.”

Simon Boulton, Founder, ALTx Therapeutics said: “I am delighted that Syncona and Slingshot have given us the opportunity to start an exciting new chapter to develop novel therapeutics targeting ALT cancers. This is the culmination of a decade of hard work from my lab and the Science Technology Platform groups within the Crick who have identified and derisked several promising ALT targets, which we aim to progress towards the clinic for the benefit of cancer patients.”

Gonzalo Garcia, Partner, Syncona Investment Management Limited, said: “Slingshot was created by Syncona to provide founders with the right know-how, operational support and firepower to advance promising early-stage opportunities towards the clinic. At the same time, it allows Syncona to efficiently develop multiple early-stage programmes to a point where they are ready for partnering or to underpin company formation. We are thrilled to invest in ALTx, alongside the Crick and CRH, to translate Simon’s exciting work at the Crick into a clinical reality.”

Stephen Mayhew, Chief Business Officer, The Francis Crick Institute said: “The launch of ALTx Therapeutics is an exciting example of what can be achieved when we provide fundamental discovery science with a clear path to progress. Supported by committed partners, this work is gaining the momentum needed to turn cancer research into potential treatments for people with the disease.”

Phil Masterson, Associate Director of Ventures, Cancer Research Horizons said: “The ALT pathway is a critical survival mechanism in cancers with limited treatment options, including brain, paediatric, and rare cancers – all priority areas for us and Cancer Research UK. Our investment in ALTx represents an incredible opportunity to accelerate truly cutting-edge science into patient impact where it’s needed most, whilst continuing our support of outstanding scientists and entrepreneurs like Simon Boulton.”