Syncona, RA lead £100m series-B for Achilles

New investors Forbion Capital Partners, Invus, Redmile Group and hedge fund Perceptive Advisors also participated.

The fresh capital will go towards two human studies using a unique personalised T-cell therapy approach targeting clonal neoantigens in non-small-cell lung cancer and melanoma. The company will also continue to expand its manufacturing capabilities and grow its pre-clinical product pipeline.

RA principal Derek DiRocco and Forbion partner Rogier Rooswinkel have joined the board.

Previous funding
In 2016, investors Syncona, Sixth Element Capital and Albion Capital Group participated in a £13.2m funding round for the company. Cancer Research Technology Group, The Francis Crick Institute and UCLB also participated.

Company
Founded in 2016, Achilles develops personalised T-cell therapies for solid tumours targeting protein markers on the surface of all cancer cells, so that treatments can target only cancerous tissue. Founded in Stevenage, the company employs around 60 people, according to LinkedIn.

People
RA Capital Management – Derek DiRocco (principal).
Syncona Investment Management – Martin Murphy (CEO).
Achilles Therapeutics – Iraj Ali (CEO).

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• Topics
• Early-stage
• UK / Ireland
• Healthcare
• healthcare
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• Albion Ventures