Melio Bio is on a mission to transform the treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders. Now, as the Pioneer and Novo Nordisk Golden Ticket winner, it has secured lab space, industry backing, and a platform to accelerate its progress.

In this Q&A, we speak to Zoë Johnson, Co-Founder and Executive Chairperson of Melio Bio, part of the Molecule to Medicine ecosystem of biotech companies, about the company’s vision, the science behind its approach, and what winning the Golden Ticket means for Melio Bio’s future.

Can you share a bit about your background?

I have spent over 25 years working in the pharma, biotech and start-up space and have had the opportunity to work on several highly innovative programmes in a range of therapeutic areas. This experience has taught me what it takes to build a company: great science; a great team; and a large dose of passion and perseverance.

At Molecule to Medicine, my role is focused on building new companies that deliver high-quality drug R&D programmes based on innovative science with strong genetic validation, working with our team of expert scientist-entrepreneurs and company scalers.

What led you to founding Melio Bio?

Melio Bio was developed internally at Molecule to Medicine; my co-founder, David Miller, a medicinal chemist with deep expertise in GPCR drug discovery, highlighted a publication that detailed the target, GPR75, having a very strong association with obesity. We were looking for new opportunities for a next-generation programme in obesity and associated co-morbidities, and this target was an ideal fit with our expertise.

Additionally, we have a long-standing relationship with Sygnature Discovery, who agreed to work with us on the programme to advance the screening to a point where we could raise external funds to support the ongoing development of the company.

Melio Bio is currently advancing hits from a proprietary screen into lead optimisation, with a Series A fundraise underway to support the ongoing development of these molecules.

What is Melio Bio’s vision?

While GLP-1 receptor agonists have transformed obesity treatment, many patients remain underserved due to side effects, non-response, or limited efficacy. With strong human genetic evidence linking GPR75 loss-of-function variants to lower body weight and reduced obesity risk, we believe this represents a breakthrough opportunity for a new class of cardiometabolic drugs that will preserve muscle whilst promoting fat mass loss.

In addition to treating obesity, Melio Bio is also focusing on co-morbidities, especially metabolic-dysfunction associated steatoic liver disease (MASLD), one of the most common forms of chronic liver disease.

What led you to take part in the Pioneer and Novo Nordisk Golden Ticket and what was the experience like?

David and I met Pioneer Group for the first time at a partnering meeting in April 2024. We had been scouting for the right space to set up Melio Bio and had identified several criteria for the location. Victoria House was in the process of being fitted out and ticked all our boxes. I continued to engage with Pioneer Group and was made aware of the Golden Ticket Competition from a number of sources.

The key attraction for us was the double impact of space in a desirable location as well as the opportunity to get early input from a pharma company with deep expertise in the cardiometabolic space. The experience was great; it gave us an opportunity to think about how to communicate the value of our early-stage company to a large pharma, as well as an investor, in a concise way.

How does it feel to be winners?

We are thrilled to have been selected as a winner of the Pioneer and Novo Nordisk Golden Ticket Programme. This recognition is not only a testament to the innovative work we are doing at Melio Bio but also a transformative opportunity.

The early support and guidance we will receive from Novo Nordisk’s world-class pharma team, who are leaders in the field, represents a unique opportunity to refine and strengthen our approach.

As winners, Melio Bio receives access to 12-month rent-free incubation space at Pioneer’s Victoria House in London. What does having access to this space mean for Melio Bio’s future?

Having space in a biotech-focused hub in a central London location, along with the associated support from the Pioneer Group team, is a huge boost for us at Melio Bio. Being surrounded by like-minded scientist entrepreneurs in the heart of London’s Knowledge Quarter is exactly the environment we want Melio Bio to be in to flourish and grow. We would have struggled to secure this space at our pre-fundraising stage, and we intend to remain at Victoria House for many years to come.

You will also receive mentoring and support from Novo Nordisk’s drug discovery and development experts. How will this collaboration help advance your work?

The early support and guidance we will receive from Novo Nordisk’s world-class pharma team, who are leaders in the field, represents a unique opportunity to refine and strengthen our approach. We are excited to leverage this collaboration to drive meaningful impact and bring new solutions to patients globally.

What has been the biggest hurdle Melio Bio has faced so far, and how did you navigate it?

From a scientific point of view, establishing the hit finding screen was challenging. We analysed the literature surrounding this target, leveraged Molecule to Medicine’s and Sygnature’s deep experience drugging GPCRs and ultimately devised what we believe is a unique and translationally relevant series of assays to screen our compound library in the absence of a known ligand. We have a great team at Sygnature Discovery working with us, and we made excellent progress in a short time.

From a corporate point of view, we are capital raising for an early-stage company in a challenging economic climate. We anticipate that the benefits of the Golden Ticket prize will give us a boost in our fundraising efforts and we look forward to accelerating our preclinical development plans in the coming months.

How has Pioneer Group supported Melio Bio?

Pioneer Group have been very open and communicative with us from the first interaction. We have introduced the team to the Molecule to Medicine ecosystem and we look forward to a broader collaboration beyond Melio Bio. We are also thrilled to be invited to the 2025 Investment Showcase, taking place on Tuesday, 25th March at Victoria House, London, and supported by the British Business Bank.

Looking to the future, how do you see the biotech landscape evolving in the next 5–10 years, particularly for those focused on novel drug targets?

The biotech landscape will be increasingly shaped by AI-driven drug discovery, precision medicine, and the rise of genetic evidence in target identification. Companies focusing on novel drug targets will benefit from advancements in omics technologies and computational biology, accelerating target identification and validation.

Molecule to Medicine is poised to capitalise on these developments through our collective intelligence model, enabling more efficient and data-driven drug discovery.

What is the next step for Melio Bio?

After moving into our new premises, we are looking to close a syndicated financing round to be able to implement the next stage of Melio Bio’s growth. The plans we have developed will be aligned with the advice we receive from our peers at Novo Nordisk.

Included in these plans, we are looking beyond traditional chemistry and would like to complement the work we have already done with AI-driven research.

Lastly, if you could give one piece of advice to other biotech entrepreneurs, what would it be?

My advice is to stay relentlessly focused on the unmet medical need while leveraging the power of data and collaboration.

Success in this space requires balancing scientific innovation with strategic execution, ensuring that breakthroughs translate into real patient impact. Building the right team and fostering partnerships will be key to navigating the challenges of biotech and driving meaningful advancements.