Amphista Therapeutics opens Granta Park research facility
Amphista Therapeutics, a Europe-based next generation targeted protein degradation (TPD) company, formally opened its new laboratory and office facilities in Granta Park last week.
Amphista is an award-winning drug discovery biotech company which was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Motherwell, Scotland. It is focused on the rapidly emerging science of TPD, that has the potential to deliver a new generation of novel drugs to treat a wide range of diseases in oncology, immunology, CNS disorders and other areas.
The company’s proprietary Eclipsys drug development platform uses the body’s own cellular processes to completely remove disease-causing proteins from the body, rather than simply temporarily inhibiting their function which is the way most current drugs work. Importantly, Amphista’s advanced approaches in TPD are shown to overcome the challenges that have limited the potential of earlier-stage TPD platforms, making it possible to target molecules that were previously considered “undruggable.”
In May 2022, Amphista announced licensing collaborations with global pharmaceutical companies Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb that include upfront payments and performance-based milestone payments valued at more than $2.125bn, representing the largest deal to date in the TPD space.
In addition to advancing industry partnerships, Amphista is also focused on building the company’s internal pipeline and continuing to support technology platform development, including expansion to additional therapy areas beyond oncology. The company expects to announce selection of a first drug development candidate in 2023.
The company is now rapidly expanding in the Cambridge area. There is currently a team of more than 50 Amphista employees, which will expand to more than 70 by the end of the year.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was the first time ever that media and other local industry leader attendees were invited inside Amphista’s Cambridge facilities. Guests were given walk-throughs of different areas including Amphista’s laboratory and facilities. Amphista CEO, Nicki Thompson, and founder, Alessio Ciulli, of the University of Dundee, were on site to lead the tour and answer questions about recent company developments.
Nicki Thompson said: “We were delighted that Professor Alessio Ciulli, our founder and one of the true pioneers in TPD research, joined us to commemorate the opening of our new office and laboratories at Granta Park.
“This special event was a great time to celebrate with friends and colleagues who have supported us on our work as we build on many important scientific foundations to fulfil our mission of delivering the next generation of TPD therapeutics to patients.”
