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NK:IO Appoints Richard Hopkins as CEO, Finalises £5.9m Seed Funding to Progress Ovarian Cancer Therapy

Published: 23rd October 2024

UKI2S > News > NK:IO Appoints Richard Hopkins as CEO, Finalises £5.9m Seed Funding to Progress Ovarian Cancer Therapy
  • Dr. Richard Hopkins, experienced biologics developer, appointed CEO of NK:IO, the innovative NK cell therapy company spun out of Imperial College
  • NK:IO completes Seed round to a total of £5.9m, with additional funding from UK Innovation Science and Seed Fund (UKI2S), managed by Future Planet Capital, Cambridge Angels and Cancer Research Horizons
  • Funds will be used to progress transformational NK cell therapeutics, initially in ovarian cancer, a critically understudied yet serious women’s health issue
  • Matt Dixon from executive search firm, Compass Carter Osborne, advised NK:IO on the appointment of Dr. Richard Hopkins

NK:IO is pleased to welcome Dr. Richard Hopkins as CEO, succeeding biotech entrepreneur Mike Romanos.

Richard, formerly VP of Pre-clinical and Clinical Translation at bit.bio, brings extensive experience in biologics development and will lead the company’s efforts to advance its ovarian cancer therapy into preclinical development.

NK:IO, an Imperial College spinout, is revolutionising cancer treatment by harnessing the body’s innate immune system. The innovative platform, developed from groundbreaking NK cell research by Professors Hugh J. M. Brady and Matthew Fuchter, produces highly potent NK cells while overcoming traditional manufacturing hurdles.

The technology offers unprecedented NK cell potency and efficient clinical-grade cell production, with broad applications in cancer and inflammatory diseases. NK:IO is initially targeting ovarian cancer, before expanding to other solid tumours.

The £5.9m seed round will accelerate development of NK:IO’s NK cell platform and its lead asset in ovarian cancer. The investment cohort, led by UKI2S, joins Cancer Research Horizons, Cambridge Angels and Meltwind with its continued support.

Richard Hopkins, CEO of NK:IO comments on his new role:

“NK:IO's breakthroughs are truly remarkable. We've achieved exceptional anti-tumour potency while simultaneously solving the scalability challenges that have hindered cell therapy manufacturing. This dual advancement positions us to make a significant impact in cancer treatment.

Our successful funding round is a testament to the promising potential of our NK cell technology. With this investment, we're poised to accelerate our research, reach critical milestones, and drive forward innovations in cancer treatment, with a particular focus on ovarian cancer patients.

Our mission extends beyond a single cancer type. We're committed to improving survival rates across various solid tumours, aiming to transform cancer care through the delivery of potent, scalable, and cost-effective cell therapies.

I'm deeply grateful for the confidence our investors have placed in us and for the unwavering dedication of our team. Together, we're embarking on a vital mission to reshape the landscape of cancer treatment.”

Oliver Sexton, Investment Director at UKI2S managed by Future Planet Capital added:

“We are delighted to continue to support NK:IO. Richard brings a huge amount of industry experience and we are excited to see its progress – the company has shown it can generate significant quantities of NK cells which will enable them to be widely used in cancer and inflammatory diseases.”

Mike Romanos, co-founder and former interim CEO said:

“Since Prof Hugh Brady, Prof Matt Fuchter and I founded NK:IO we have seen the company’s science develop to the stage where we have a truly robust platform with broad therapeutic potential, demonstrated exceptional efficacy and robust manufacturing. We are very pleased that Richard has joined us at this critical time to grow the company and take it into development, with the welcome additional support of our investors.”
UKI2S

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