Healthcare startup Athernal Bio targets clinic after £3.5m funding and official launch
Based at Babraham Research Park, Athernal Bio is developing new vaccines designed to lower the risk of cancer and certain age-related diseases. It is dedicated to stopping cancer before it starts. Its approach focuses on targeting early indicators of cancer with novel vaccine techniques to eliminate them, aiming to improve patient outcomes.
Athernal Bio is developing what it describes as the first immunotherapies for high-risk clonal haematopoiesis — addressing blood cancer precursor condition with the aim of stopping cancer before it starts through early and proactive therapeutic intervention.
This new funding supports key preclinical milestones as Athernal Bio revealed it is moving rapidly toward clinical trials in high-risk patient populations.
“Athernal Bio is pioneering the treatment of high-risk clonal haematopoiesis with targeted immunotherapies. This represents a meaningful shift in oncology, moving away from reactive treatment to proactive prevention,” said Colin Freund, Chief Executive Officer of Athernal Bio. “The funding allows us to advance into in vivo validation and accelerate our path toward the clinic.”
Founded by Nirupa Desai and Ieuan Walker and incubated by Delin, Athernal Bio operates in a hot area of life science research: High-risk CH affects multiple vulnerable patient populations, including patients with inherited blood disorders, many cancer survivors and the ageing population.
CH is estimated to impact approximately 10–20 per cent of people over the age of 65 and is increasingly recognised as a major driver of blood cancer risk.
“CH is a well-recognised precursor to blood cancer, but no targeted treatment options currently exist. Patients can often live for years under the weight of knowing their condition could progress to AML, without any way to intervene,” said Nirupa Desai, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer. “Our goal is to develop an immunotherapy that directly targets high-risk CH, with the aim of stopping cancer before it starts.”
The Delin investment will support in vivo proof-of-concept studies for CH treatment in preparation for an IND focused on this underserved patient group. These efforts will form the foundation for expanding into broader high-risk populations and support Athernal Bio’s mission to stop cancer before it starts. Athernal Bio has built a strong team, supported by renowned advisers across the US and Europe.
