Using our revolutionary KnotBody® technology, we are creating first-in-class and best-in-class protein therapeutics for treating previously untreatable ion channel and GPCR-driven diseases.
It affects ~1.5 billion people worldwide and ~64% of patients on the current pain medications are inadequately treated.
More than 300 million people worldwide suffer from autoimmune disorders.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally.
Ion channel and GPCR disfunction are implicated in a wide range of debilitating diseases and current treatments based on small molecule drugs suffer from poor efficacy and side effects.
Compared to small molecules, engineered antibodies offer vastly superior selectivity and are well proven therapeutically, representing 7/10 of top-selling drugs.
Despite these obvious advantages, antibody discovery against ion channel and GPCRs has been challenging.
By fusing naturally occurring cysteine-rich miniproteins (‘Knottins’) into antibody binding loops, our patented KnotBody® technology combines the power of millions of years of Knottin evolution in targeting ion channels and GPCRs with state-of-the-art antibody engineering techniques, addressing key challenges in ion channel and GPCR drug discovery.
Multifunctionality
Potency and Selectivity
Half-life & Manufacturability
Multifunctionality
Potency & Selectivity
Half-life & manufacturability
We are leveraging this technology to deliver safe, efficacious and long-acting drugs against previously undruggable targets.
John McCafferty, PhD
Co-founder and CEO
Prior to co-founding Maxion Therapeutics, John was a co-founder of Cambridge Antibody Technology (acquired by AstraZeneca) and IONTAS (acquired by FairJourney Biologics). John was an inventor of antibody phage display technology which earned the 2018 Nobel prize in chemistry (awarded to his co-inventor Sir Greg Winter). He also invented IONTAS’s proprietary Mammalian Display technology as well as Maxion’s KnotBody® technology.
Aneesh Karatt-Vellatt, PhD
Co-founder and CSO
Eva-Lotta Allan
Independent Chair
Thomas Weaver, PhD
Non-executive Director
CEO Petmedix
Dr Tim Funnell
Partner
Monograph Capital
Lucy Edwardes Jones
Investor
BGF
Lucy is an investor in BGF’s early-stage team, with a focus on life sciences. Her main role is to source and execute new investments, as well as supporting a number of investee companies at board level. Prior to BGF, Lucy spent five years in strategy consulting at CIL where she focused on the healthcare and pharma sectors. Lucy holds a first-class degree in History from Durham University and a Master’s degree in Russian & Eastern European Studies from Oxford University.
Dr Sohaib Mir
Senior Investment Principal
LifeArc Ventures
Sohaib Mir is a Senior Investment Principal at LifeArc Ventures and has worked across investment banking, venture capital and clinical medicine. He was an Investment Director with ALSA Ventures, a Principal at Cambridge Innovation Capital and a member of Perella Weinberg Partners’ healthcare M&A team. Sohaib qualified in Medicine at the University of Birmingham where he also completed a PhD in CNS regeneration. He practiced medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and gained an MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise from the University of Cambridge.
