Apini raises £1.8m to advance treatment for chronic diseases

Apini, a company developing small molecule drug treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis, has successfully raised £1.8 million to further its development efforts. The company is a spinout from the University of Manchester and benefits from support by the university's Innovation Factory. The financial backing was provided by Northern Gritstone, a firm that has garnered recognition for its investment activities in the Northern region. Syncona's Slingshot Therapeutics accelerator plays a fundamental role in advancing Apini by harnessing insights from distinguished academic research, with initial financial backing amounting to £12.5 million. The program's development is led by Professor Sam Butterworth, known for creating Tagrisso, a globally utilized anti-cancer drug. This investment aims to facilitate the evolution of Apini into an impactful biotech participant in the life sciences sector, specifically targeting the treatment of inflammatory diseases without immune system suppression.