On March 18, 2021 Aktis Oncology, a biotechnology company discovering and developing a novel class of targeted radiopharmaceuticals to treat a broad range of solid tumor cancers, reported completion of a $72 million Series A financing (Press release, Aktis Oncology, MAR 18, 2021, View Source [SID1234576886]). The company was founded and incubated by MPM Capital, which co-led the financing with EcoR1 Capital and Vida Ventures, with participation from Octagon Capital, TCG Crossover, Novartis and Bristol Myers Squibb.

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"Aktis Oncology is building on recent successes in the radiopharmaceutical field, using a novel approach to extend the efficacy of targeted radiopharmaceuticals into a wide range of solid tumors," said Todd Foley, Chairman of Aktis Oncology, and Managing Director of MPM Capital. "We’re incredibly excited by the science, the team and a world class syndicate of institutional and strategic investors that share in our vision to realize the potential of targeted radiotherapy to become a mainstream anti-cancer modality."

Aktis Oncology is developing novel alpha radiotherapies to improve upon the efficacy of conventional solid tumor therapies, while limiting toxicity. The company has developed proprietary platforms to discover best-in-class tumor targeting agents designed with optimal pharmacology for delivering alpha radiotherapy. Aktis Oncology targeting agents are highly tumor penetrant but clear from other areas of the body quickly, to maximize tumor elimination while minimizing potential side effects of treatment.

"Alpha radiotherapy is the future of radiopharmaceuticals," said Matthew Roden, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aktis Oncology. "By harnessing the power of alpha particles – with nearly 1000 times the potency of beta particles – we believe our approach has the potential to deliver game-changing results for patients."

Aktis Oncology’s theranostic approach would also enable clinicians to visualize and verify target engagement prior to exposure to therapeutic radioisotopes, allowing for better selection of patients most likely to benefit from therapy. The company plans to produce multiple development candidates with potential for efficacy against well-validated cancer targets.

Aktis Oncology was founded by Brian Goodman, PhD, Patrick Baeuerle, PhD, and Todd Foley, of MPM Capital. The company is led by:

Matthew Roden, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aktis Oncology. He is an Executive Partner of MPM Capital, and serves as Chairman of Turmeric Acquisition Corporation, and is a member of the boards of iTeos Therapeutics and NextPoint Therapeutics. Prior to joining MPM, Dr. Roden held senior leadership positions in the biopharma industry, most recently as Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Strategy at Bristol Myers Squibb; he held senior roles in the capital markets, including serving as head of biotechnology equity research at UBS and as a senior biotechnology equity analyst at J.P. Morgan; and has scientific training in immunology, structural biology, and cancer biology.
Paul Feldman, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Aktis Oncology. Prior to joining Aktis Oncology Dr. Feldman was the Head of Discovery and Translational Medicine at Intarcia Therapeutics. An accomplished drug discoverer and executive in the biopharmaceutical industry, he previously served as Senior Vice President at GlaxoSmithKline, leading the Enteroendocrine Discovery Performance Unit and GSK’S enterprise Chemistry Council, before retiring to co-found Phoundry Pharmaceuticals, a peptide hormone therapeutic company.
Brian Goodman, PhD, Head of Operations and Corporate Development of Aktis Oncology. As part of the Investment and Operations Team at MPM Capital, he is responsible for investment identification, due diligence, business development, and new company creation at a number of MPM portfolio companies. He serves as a board observer for Orna Therapeutics and Triplet Therapeutics. Prior to joining MPM Capital, Dr. Goodman co-founded and served as Head of Technology and Innovation at Evelo Biosciences, a company focused on the pharmacology of microbial drugs across multiple therapeutic areas; and was a Senior Associate at Flagship Pioneering.
Aktis Oncology is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. with laboratory operations in Research Triangle Park, NC.