• NanoSyrinx is developing technology that aims to help medicines better target diseased cells by delivering therapeutic proteins directly to the interior of the cells
• Application of the technology could be used to create highly effective cancer treatments
• AbbVie and Pioneer Group will support the company to develop the ground-breaking technology after a competitive process in the first AbbVie UK Golden ticket programme
• The initiative provides much needed support to help translate UK science into the medicines of tomorrow

UK – 27 September, 2022 – A Coventry-based biotech start-up has been named the winner of the 2022 AbbVie UK Golden Ticket accelerator programme designed to help early-stage life science companies translate drug discovery and gain access to crucial research space.

NanoSyrinx is the first company to engineer protein ‘nanosyringes’, a cell-selective non-viral peptide and protein delivery system. The company’s technology has the potential to unlock an entirely new range of intracellular targets which are currently inaccessible to biologic drugs, enabling the development of new medicines across a wide range of therapeutic areas.

As inaugural winners of the 2022 AbbVie UK Golden Ticket programme, NanoSyrinx will be provided with:

• One year of free lab space, funded by AbbVie, at Pioneer Group’s BioCity Nottingham site, where NanoSyrinx will have access to core facilities and services
• Tailored support from AbbVie’s world-leading global and UK scientists, business leaders and mentors
• Exclusive access to AbbVie and Pioneer Group’s networks over the year with the opportunity for future collaboration

The 2022 AbbVie UK Golden Ticket programme was open to early-stage life sciences companies and biotech start-ups working to develop cutting-edge therapies or technology platforms within four key areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care.

The Government has committed to championing life sciences to transform the British economy into a ‘scientific superpower’. Pioneer Group’s latest Life Science Start-up Report showed record levels of start-up creation and funding, which bodes well for the sector’s future growth. The AbbVie UK Golden Ticket programme has been designed to help support continued investment in start-up creation and help companies accelerate the development of ground-breaking and life-saving technologies and medicines.

Increased public sector funding, capital raising among the private sector, and advancements in big data and artificial intelligence mean life sciences form a growing and crucial part of the UK economy. The sector also provides wider socio-economic benefits, meeting the unmet needs of patients, thanks to new and targeted therapeutics helping to improve health outcomes and complex healthcare needs.

Ayokunmi Ajetunmobi PhD, Director of Venture Development at Pioneer Group said:

“The Golden Ticket Programme demonstrates Pioneer Group’s commitment to investing in the UK’s world-class life sciences sector and accelerating the delivery of life-changing innovation to patients.”

“Targeting diseased cells without affecting healthy cells is the holy grail of medicine. Drug treatments often fail to traverse the body well and consequently cannot get to where they’re needed most. This is a major contributor to failures in new drug development, impacting our ability to treat many diseases like cancer. NanoSyrinx’s novel delivery method has the potential to target drugs to where they’re needed, limiting potential side effects, and keeping manufacturing costs to a minimum”

Belinda Byrne, PhD, UK Medical Director, AbbVie, said:

“Congratulations to NanoSyrinx for winning the 2022 AbbVie UK Golden Ticket. AbbVie are delighted to award this opportunity to the team and are excited to support the development of NanoSyrinx’s novel delivery technology.”

“While unmet needs remain for patients, AbbVie remain committed to driving scientific innovation. The Golden Ticket programme is an example of how we collaborate and support UK Life Sciences, from bench to bedside to deliver life-changing therapies to patients in the UK and globally.” 

Dr Joe Healey, Founder & CEO at NanoSyrinx, who developed the technology during his PhD at the University of Warwick, said:

“We are incredibly proud to have been selected as the first-ever AbbVie UK Golden Ticket winner. This award recognises the potential of our unique nanosyringe platform to address a wide range of challenges associated with the intracellular delivery of biological therapeutics. We are looking forward to engaging more deeply with the experts from AbbVie and accessing the support of Pioneer Group as we move forward with building our internal pipeline”