F-star raises €9.4m from Atlas, Aescap et al.

Other investors include SR One, MP Healthcare Venture Management and MS Ventures. As well as creating a new independent company, the funding will be used to aid the discovery of new immuno-oncology therapies aimed at activating the patient's immune system against cancer.

Company
The fresh funding has been used to create F-star Alpha, an independent company that has been granted exclusive licences to a range of oncology assets from F-star Biotechnology.

The agreement sees F-star receiving an exclusive licence to FS102, an "Fcab" antibody fragment that eliminates HER2-positive cancer cells through a new apoptotic mechanism of action.

The new entity has also received a licence for the generation of Fcabs or bispecific antibodies against up to 22 other oncology and immuno-oncology targets. In return, F-star will receive a combination of milestone payments and tiered royalties.

F-star was established in 2006 and employs more than 30 people at its research site in Cambridge.

People
John Haurum is CEO of F-star.

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• Topics
• Expansion
• UK / Ireland
• Healthcare
• Atlas Venture