Syncona Limited

New figures released today by the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) show a sharp increase in the number of First Global Participants (FGP) and First European Participants (FEP) recruited at UK sites - an important signal of the UK’s growing competitiveness in global clinical trials.   We are proud that, Syncona portfolio company, Quell Therapeutics’ CHILL trial, a Phase 1/2 study running across three countries, enrolled its first patient just 113 days after beginning the study set-up process.   Through close collaboration with the NIHR Industry Hub and partners across the UK life sciences ecosystem, three UK sites opened ahead of schedule.   Recruiting the first patient into a global trial is a key indicator for attracting international investment, supporting economic growth, and, most importantly, giving UK patients earlier access to innovative treatments.   A great example of what can be achieved through coordinated collaboration across the UK life sciences sector. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ehAVrCAq   #Biotech #LifeSciences #HealthcareInnovation

How do we find better drug targets and improve the chances of success in development?   In a recent conversation on The BioCentury Inc. Show, our CEO Chris Hollowood shared his perspectives on a key shift underway in biopharma.   Historically, target discovery has often been shaped by predefined hypotheses, with experiments designed to validate what researchers already believe to be true. The challenge with this approach is that it can limit how confidently we establish true causality.   Today, advances in tools and data are changing that. As Chris explains in this clip, more holistic and unbiased experiments allow scientists to explore biological systems at scale, covering far more ground and increasing the likelihood of identifying the best targets rather than those that simply appear to work.   This matters because stronger experimental design does not just improve discovery, it has the potential to reduce risk across the entire drug development process.   For Syncona, this changes how we evaluate new opportunities. We prioritise science grounded in robust evidence and build companies with a clear path to the clinic, enabling us to focus capital on programmes with a higher probability of success and meaningful patient impact.   Watch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/g2HNsKUC   #Biotech #LifeSciences #HealthcareInnovation

The Syncona team were delighted to attend #BioEquityEurope this week. Managing Partner, Elisa Petris, joined a panel discussion on Patient Engagement Strategies. Patients’ perspectives are vital to informing a target product profile of a drug, increasing the likelihood of regulatory approval, market adoption and patient adherence. The conversation highlighted the importance of engaging with patient organisations as early as possible. At Syncona, this approach is embedded from the outset, with patient engagement forming part of the investment process from day one, ensuring that target product profiles are informed by both patient needs and clinical efficacy. #BioEquityEurope #Biotech #LifeSciences #HealthcareInnovation

Our CEO Chris Hollowood recently featured on The BioCentury Inc. Show, sharing insights into the evolving biopharma landscape and how this is shaping Syncona’s strategy.   In the conversation, Chris reflects on how new discovery approaches are changing the way biotech companies are created and how this is informing Syncona’s focus and direction. He also highlights the growing momentum across the UK life sciences ecosystem and the opportunity to better connect scientific discovery with clinical progress to deliver real impact for patients.   At Syncona, we are focused on building and investing in companies with the potential to deliver transformative treatments, and discussions like this underline how our strategy continues to evolve alongside the science.   Watch the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/g2HNsKUC   #Biotech #LifeSciences #HealthcareInnovation 

Following our #CapitalMarketsDay, we’re sharing some of the key perspectives from the day from presenters Chris Hollowood and Roel Bulthuis, along with panel moderators Edward Hodgkin, Kenneth Galbraith and Magdalena Jonikas   They reflect on the strategy, science and market dynamics shaping our next phase of growth.   #Biotech #LifeSciences #HealthcareInnovation #SynconaCMD

🚨 Applications are now open for our fellowship programme 🚨  The Syncona Fellowship has reopened applications for the next round of applicants. We are seeking exceptional and ambitious life science graduates that can contribute to the investment team during their placement and become a member of our industry network going forward. The Syncona Fellowship is a six-month structured programme that aims to introduce talented young professionals to a career in life science venture capital. If you’re determined, passionate and seeking a first step into the exciting world of life science investing, then we are open for your application until Sunday 12 April at 5pm, with a start date in Summer 2026. To learn more about the Syncona Fellowship and to apply, please visit our website 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eufQAyCP

This week, Syncona’s Roel Bulthuis took part in a panel moderated by Olivia Cavlan, LifeArc Ventures at BIO-Europe Spring, alongside Sander Slootweg, Forbion and Joao Incio, MD PhD, Biovance Capital, discussing the biopharma investment landscape. He shared a couple of standout perspectives: Encouraging entrepreneurs to stay ambitious—biopharma is a global market, and success requires positioning your drug competitively irrespective of the jurisdiction. Emphasising that strong investors don’t chase “hot topics.” Each opportunity is a discrete proposition, assessed on its own merit. Thanks to BioEurope and the panel for a great discussion #BIOEuropeSpring #Biotech #Healthcareinnovation

In a busy week for Syncona last week, it was great to see CEO Chris Hollowood speak at the City of London Corporation Sterling 20 Life Sciences Showcase event in association with UK Private Capital.   Chris was joined by Haseeb Ahmad, CEO of Purespring Therapeutics, one of Syncona’s clinical-stage portfolio companies, for a fantastic discussion on what it takes to invest in a company through to late-stage development.   Chris and Haseeb spoke about scaling companies, how partnership supports drug development, and their extensive experiences across the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.   Purespring exemplifies Syncona’s mission to accelerate UK-grown science towards delivering real patient impact by building, not just investing in, biotechs. We are excited about the journey ahead!   A special thanks to the City of London Corporation, UK Private Capital, and our fellow speakers.   #Biotech #LifeSciences #HealthcareInnovation #VentureCapital

A morning of great discussions and presentations from the SIML team, late-stage clinical companies and leading industry voices. More to come this afternoon as we turn to the SIML private fund and our early-stage portfolio.   Lance Baldo, Roel Bulthuis, Ros Deegan, Kenneth Galbraith, Amir Hefni, Edward Hodgkin, Chris Hollowood, Kaivan Khavandi, Iain McGill, James Mitford, Michael Parini, Elisa Petris, Catherine Pickering, Samantha Roberts, Chris Sheldon, PhD, Courtney Thorne #Biotech #LifeSciences #HealthcareInnovation #SynconaCMD

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Samantha Roberts has joined Syncona as an Executive Partner.   Sam was most recently the CEO of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and has almost 30 years of experience across healthcare policy, innovation adoption and the UK life science ecosystem. At Syncona she will play a key role in our exceptional team, as we deliver the next phase of growth, maximising and realising value for shareholders and transforming patient outcomes.   Read more here: https://lnkd.in/d5sduY2U   #Appointment #Biotech #LifeSciences #HealthcareInnovation #SynconaCMD