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Edinburgh and Cambridge, UK, 12 August 2024 – With Olympics drawn to a close, the team at Macomics Ltd, a leader in macrophage drug discovery, is celebrating its own achievement in raising over £600 in its Hyper-Triathlon Challenge. Started in 2023 in honour of its late co-founder Prof. Jeffrey Pollard, the Challenge set out to raise funds for the charity established as a memorial in his name, now renamed the Jeffrey and Ooi Thye Pollard fund.

The late Professor Jeffrey W Pollard

Macomics has two laboratories, one located in Roslin Innovation Centre, near Edinburgh and the other on Cambridge Science Park. With the sites are separated by 460km in a straight line, the Macomics Hyper-Triathlon Challenge was to complete 46km of swimming, 460km of running/walking, and 4600km of cycling. The team scored themselves Gold in the running, achieving 3,318km of the 460km target and in the swimming, with all 46km of the target completed. A Bronze was awarded in the cycling as just 2,762km of the 4,600km distance was completed.

Some of the Macomics team members who participated in the ‘Macomics’ Hyper-Triathlon Challenge

Overall, the team recorded 6,126km against the 5,106km and raised over £600 towards the memorial fund. So it’s a win for the fund and its recipients, and congratulations to the Macomics team.

The Jeffrey and Ooi Thye Pollard fund, managed by the University of Edinburgh where Prof. Pollard was Director of the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, is being used to organise scientific meetings focused on macrophage biology, and to fund travel and enrichment grants aimed at early career researchers.

Dr Luca Cassetta, VP immunology of Macomics based in its Edinburgh Labs said, “Jeff would be immensely proud of our achievements as we all were of him. He was a world leader in macrophage biology and a personal mentor, and to commemorate his impact on our company, the Macomics team decided to help raise money for the Jeff Pollard’s memorial fund established last year when he passed away. As well as linking Macomics’ staff on two sites, the challenge reflects the company’s goal to connect macrophage biology from research to transformative treatments.”

Macomics was founded on the breakthrough research of Prof. Pollard and Dr. Luca Cassetta, from the University of Edinburgh, to develop new therapeutics against novel targets on macrophages, to address unmet medical needs in solid tumour immunosuppression and pathological inflammation in chronic inflammatory disorders.

“We are one team working for the benefits of patients. This Challenge has shown that the distance between our laboratories is not a barrier to collaboration and teamwork” added Chantelle Payton, Associate Scientist, based in Macomics ‘Cambridge site. To donate, go to The Jeffrey W Pollard Memorial Fund | The University of Edinburgh, mentioning Macomics in your donation.

• Laboratory of Prof. Andrea Alimonti at IOR (Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland) and Macomics to bring together expertise on myeloid-derived suppressor cells in prostate cancer mouse model systems
• The collaboration will combine advanced in vivo models with new therapeutic approaches to support Macomics’ continued exploration of novel macrophage biology for precision oncology medicines

Edinburgh and Cambridge, UK, and Bellinzona, Switzerland – 19 June 2024 – Macomics Ltd, a leader in macrophage drug discovery, announces that it has entered a scientific collaboration with Prof. Andrea Alimonti at IOR (Institute of Oncology Research), one of Switzerland’s leading research institutes.

IOR is focused on the study of cancer formation and development at the molecular level. Prof. Alimonti’s laboratory is pioneering studies on prostate cancer. The collaboration will see Macomics work with Dr Bianca Calì in Prof. Alimonti’s lab to synergize this deep knowledge, particularly in the use of novel in vivo mouse models, with Macomics’ macrophage expertise. The goal is to explore new modes of action for macrophage-targeted therapies.

Macomics is exploiting the potential of macrophage-targeted approaches to develop first-in-class medicines to address disease of high unmet medical need. The company’s ENIGMAC™ macrophage drug discovery platform allows access to previously hidden or inaccessible disease specific macrophage targets: It integrates large volume human data sets, next generation human macrophage cell models, and proprietary macrophage gene editing capability to discover novel targets, unlock new disease biology, and de-risk clinical translation.

Under the collaboration, the parties will explore together the potential for the use of novel in vivo prostate cancer models developed by the Alimonti lab in the characterisation of macrophage targeted therapies, including testing of novel drug candidates with new modes of action discovered by Macomics in its complex human assay systems.

Dr Luca Cassetta, VP Immunology and Founder of Macomics said, “We are delighted to collaborate with Prof. Alimonti as he is a prostate cancer expert. This collaboration will allow us to optimise the design of our therapies by accessing novel prostate cancer mouse models in which myeloid cells play a fundamental role for tumor progression.”

Prof. Andrea Alimonti, IOR director, said, “This collaboration represents an exciting opportunity to combine our pioneering research in prostate cancer with Macomics’ expertise in macrophage-targeted therapies. By leveraging our deep understanding of molecular mechanisms in cancer development and utilizing our preclinical models, we aim to uncover innovative approaches for

combating advanced prostate cancer, a disease for which a definitive cure remains an unmet clinical challenge”.

Dr Stephen Myatt, CEO of Macomics said, “This collaboration enhances further our ability to explore and exploit macrophage biology for the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Macrophages are key to multiple diseases of high unmet medical need, including as key mediators of solid tumour immunosuppression and pathological inflammation in chronic inflammatory disorders.”

• Macomics continues to expand its leadership team to accelerate the development of first-in-class macrophage-targeted therapies
• Simon Dew brings over 25 years of experience in pharmaceutical business development to advance partnerships for Macomics’ macrophage ENIGMAC™ platform

Edinburgh and Cambridge, UK, 10 June 2024 – Macomics Ltd, a leader in macrophage drug discovery has announced the appointment of Simon Dew in the newly created position of Chief Business Officer (CBO). He will be instrumental in advancing Macomics’ mission to develop first-in-class medicines targeting macrophage-driven diseases of high unmet medical need, in oncology and chronic inflammatory diseases.

With an extensive background in pharmaceutical business development, corporate strategy, Simon will play a pivotal role in maximizing the potential of Macomics’ proprietary macrophage ENIGMAC™ drug discovery platform through strategic partnerships and collaborations.

Simon brings over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having held senior leadership roles in Pharma and Biotech. He is currently on the Business Development Board of Sunstone Capital, a Danish Venture Capital Company and, most recently served as CBO at ReNeuron Group. His career also includes significant roles at Gyroscope Therapeutics, Astellas Pharmaceuticals, IQVIA, Parexel, Phytopharm plc, and GSK/SB, where he demonstrated exceptional expertise in business development, corporate strategy, and operational leadership. He has a BSc in Pharmacy and has completed the INSEAD Managing Partnerships and Strategic Alliances and M&A Executive Program.

Dr Stephen Myatt, CEO of Macomics said, “I am delighted to welcome Simon to the company. Business development is a critical role to our leadership team and Simon’s extensive experience and successful track record in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry will be invaluable as we continue to advance our macrophage-targeted therapies and expand our strategic partnerships. Macrophages are key to multiple diseases of high unmet medical need, including as key mediators of solid tumour immunosuppression and pathological inflammation in chronic inflammatory disorders.”

Simon Dew, new CBO of Macomics said, “The potential of the ENIGMAC platform to discover and develop novel macrophage-targeted therapies is unique, and I look forward to working with the talented team at Macomics to deliver on strategic partnerships that will accelerate the development of transformative medicines for patients with high unmet medical needs.”

Simon Dew, Chief Business Officer, Macomics

About Macomics – www.macomics.com

Macomics Ltd is a macrophage drug discovery company with a world-leading macrophage drug discovery platform, developing first-in-class medicines to deliver transformational impact for patients with macrophage-driven diseases: Macrophages are key to multiple diseases of high unmet medical need, including as key mediators of solid tumour immunosuppression and pathological inflammation in chronic inflammatory disorders.

The company is progressing a diversified portfolio of therapies targeting disease specific macrophages towards the clinic. Its ENIGMAC macrophage drug discovery platform enables identification and validation of novel macrophage therapeutic targets and provides a translationally relevant path to clinic through the development of more physiologically relevant human macrophage models combined with proprietary gene editing technology.

The company was co-founded in 2020 by Prof. Jeffrey Pollard and Dr. Luca Cassetta, University of Edinburgh, internationally recognised leaders in macrophage biology.  It has R&D and office facilities in Edinburgh and Cambridge, UK. The company’s financing was led by Epidarex Capital and the company is backed by Scottish Enterprise, LifeLink Ventures and Caribou Property Limited.

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For further information please contact:

Macomics

At the Company – Steve Myatt, CEO, Macomics E: myatt@macomics.com

Media enquiries (for Macomics) – Sue Charles, Charles Consultants T: +44 (0)7968 726585 E: sue@charles-consultants.com

• Laboratory of Prof. Massimiliano Pagani at IFOM (the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology) and Macomics to bring together expertise on T-cell biology, ex-vivo tumoroids and macrophages
• The collaboration will combine advanced human ex vivo models with new therapeutic approaches to support Macomics’ continued exploration of novel macrophage biology

Edinburgh and Cambridge, UK, and Milan, Italy, 13 May 2023 – Macomics Ltd, a leader in macrophage drug discovery, announces that it has entered a scientific collaboration with Prof. Massimiliano Pagani from the IFOM (the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology), one of Italy’s leading research institutes in Cancer Research.

IFOM is focused on the study of cancer formation and development at the molecular level. Prof. Pagani’s laboratory is pioneering studies on Regulatory T cells in the tumour microenvironment. The collaboration will see Macomics work with Dr Francesca Simoncello in Prof. Pagani’s lab to synergize this deep knowledge, particularly in the use of ex vivo tumoroids and T cell biology, with Macomics’ macrophage expertise. The goal is to explore new modes of action for macrophage targeted therapies.

Macomics is exploiting the potential of macrophage-targeted approaches to develop first-in-class medicines to address disease of high unmet medical need. The company’s ENIGMAC macrophage drug discovery platform allows access to previously hidden disease specific macrophage targets: It integrates large volume human data sets, next generation human macrophage cell models, and proprietary macrophage genome editing capability to discover novel targets, unlock new disease biology, and de-risk clinical translation.

Under the collaboration the parties will explore together the potential for the use of ex vivo tumoroid models developed by the Pagani lab in the characterisation of macrophage targeted therapies, including testing of novel drug candidates with new modes of action discovered by Macomics in complex human assay systems.

Dr Luca Cassetta, VP Immunology and Founder of Macomics, said, “We are delighted to collaborate with one of the leading centres of excellence in the T-cell biology field. This collaboration will allow us to optimise the design of our therapies by harnessing the power of patient-derived organoids which, unlike cell lines, recapitulate the overall architecture and functional features of the cancer tissue from which they originate. They also better replicate the complexity of the human tumour microenvironment than commonly used pre-clinical models. This understanding will accelerate the advancement of our programs towards clinical development.”

Prof. Massimiliano Pagani, Principal Investigator at IFOM and Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Milan, said, “A key goal for IFOM is the rapid transfer of scientific results from bench to bedside. This collaboration fits that goal, bringing together international experts across disciplines to accelerate the discovery of new therapies that [have the potential to] improve the long-term outcome for cancer patients.”

Dr Stephen Myatt, CEO of Macomics, said, “This is an important collaboration that brings together cutting-edge technology, complex assays, and novel therapeutic strategies to address the challenge and huge potential of macrophage drug discovery. Macrophages are key to multiple diseases of high unmet medical need, including as key mediators of solid tumour immunosuppression and pathological inflammation in chronic inflammatory disorders, and we are advancing a number of programs in our pipeline towards clinical studies, to bring new therapies to cancer patients.”

About Macomics – http://www.macomics.com/

Macomics Ltd is a macrophage drug discovery company with a world-leading macrophage drug discovery platform, developing first-in-class medicines to deliver transformational impact for patients with macrophage-driven diseases: Macrophages are key to multiple diseases of high unmet medical need, including as key mediators of solid tumour immunosuppression and pathological inflammation in chronic inflammatory disorders.

The company is progressing a diversified portfolio of therapies targeting disease specific macrophages towards the clinic. Its ENIGMAC macrophage drug discovery platform enables identification and validation of novel macrophage therapeutic targets and provides a translationally relevant path to clinic through the development of more physiologically relevant human macrophage models combined with proprietary gene editing technology.

The company was co-founded in 2020 by Prof. Jeffrey Pollard and Dr Luca Cassetta, University of Edinburgh, internationally recognised leaders in macrophage biology. It has R&D and office facilities in Edinburgh and Cambridge, UK. The company’s financing was led by Epidarex Capital and the company is backed by Scottish Enterprise, LifeLink Ventures and Caribou Property Limited.

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About IFOM – https://www.ifom.eu/en/

Founded in 1998 and supported by AIRC, the Italian Association for Cancer Research, IFOM is an international cancer research institute focused on the study of cancer formation and development at molecular level, with a view to a rapid transfer of results from bench to bedside.

For further information please contact:

Macomics

At the Company – Steve Myatt, CEO, Macomics E: mailto:myatt@macomics.com

Media enquiries (for Macomics) – Sue Charles, Charles Consultants T: +44 (0)7968 726585 E: sue@charles-consultants.com

Edinburgh and Cambridge, UK, 19 October 2023 – Macomics Ltd, a leader in macrophage drug discovery, announces that it has appointed Kevin Lee Ph.D., MBA at Independent Non-Executive Director.

Based in the UK and CEO of Cambridge, UK/Cambridge, US based, Bicycle Therapeutics (NASDAQ: BCYC), Kevin brings two decades of biotech and pharma experience to Macomics. In addition to his seat on Bicycle’s board of directors, he is also a non-executive director of Alchemab Therapeutics Ltd.

Kevin has led Bicycle Therapeutics since 2015, steering it through its strategic growth including various collaborations and financings including through its listing on NASDAQ in 2019. He joined Bicycle from from Pfizer, where he served as senior vice president and CSO of the Rare Disease Research Unit. In that role, he held responsibility for more than 20 novel programs across the full spectrum of research and development, established Pfizer’s rare disease strategy, conceptualized and implemented the company’s gene therapy strategy with the creation of the Genetic Medicine Institute and founded the Rare Disease Research Consortium. Prior to joining Pfizer, Kevin worked at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and, in addition to leading the formation of multiple strategic commercial and academic partnerships, he led epigenetics research and was responsible for the creation of the EpiNova Discovery Performance Unit. Before joining GSK, he lectured at Warwick University Medical School and founded Cambridge Biotechnology (acquired by Biovitrum) and Neurosolutions.

Kevin studied pharmaceutical sciences at Nottingham University, followed by a Ph.D. in pharmacology at Cambridge University. He undertook postdoctoral training as a Wellcome Trust International Prize Fellow before joining the Parke Davis Research Unit in Cambridge, U.K. An author on over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications, he has an MBA from Warwick Business School and has been awarded an honorary Chair in Molecular Pharmacology from the University of Warwick.

Macomics is exploiting the potential of macrophage-targeted approaches to develop first-in-class medicines to address disease of high unmet medical need. The company’s ENIGMAC macrophage drug discovery platform allows access to previously hidden disease specific macrophage targets: It integrates large volume human data sets, next generation human macrophage cell models, and proprietary macrophage genome editing capability to discover novel targets, unlock new disease  biology, and de-risk clinical translation. Macrophages are key to multiple diseases of high unmet medical need, including as key mediators of solid tumour immunosuppression and pathological inflammation in chronic inflammatory disorders.

Kevin Lee, Macomics Board Director said, “Macomics is shaping up as an exciting emerging UK biotech with a powerful macrophage platform and drug discovery approach that is already demonstrating its potential to identify commercially exciting targets and validate antibody drug candidates. The company is at an exciting stage of its development, and I look forward to working with the Board and the Macomics team to help it deliver on its potential.”

Stephen Myatt, CEO of Macomics said, “I am delighted to welcome Kevin to our Board. His experience in building Bicycle Therapeutics and previously in his pharma roles will be extremely valuable in helping us to exploit our platform and advance our portfolio towards clinical development. I look forward to work closely with Kevin to bring next generation macrophage targeting therapeutics to cancer patients.”

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our esteemed colleague and friend, Professor Jeff W. Pollard, on 1 May 2023.

Jeff, who died peacefully at home after struggling against cancer, was a Founder, Director, and adviser to Macomics Limited, and was passionate about developing novel therapies targeting tumour-associated macrophages.

Jeff was also a Professor of Resilience Biology in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, at the University of Edinburgh, and for nearly a decade led the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Reproductive Health (CRH), as Director, (2013-2022).

Jeff leaves a huge legacy to the cancer research community and to the world of macrophage and reproductive biology.

Career

Jeff Pollard graduated with a first-class special honours degree in Zoology from Sheffield University followed by a PhD at Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now CRUK) in London. He spent a post-doctoral period at Ontario Cancer Institute in Toronto and thereafter, took a Faculty position at King’s College University of London. In 1988 he joined the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York where he worked for 24 years prior to moving to Edinburgh in 2013 as Director of the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health. At the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Professor Pollard was the Louis Goldstein Swann Chair in Women’s Health, Deputy Director of the NCI funded Cancer Center, and Director of the NIH funded Center for the Study of Reproductive Biology and Women’s Health.

Jeff performed research in women’s reproductive health for his entire career with a recent emphasis on the mechanisms of action of female sex steroid hormones in controlling cell proliferation and on the tumour microenvironment of breast cancer. In the former programme his lab sought to understand the mechanism of progesterone in negatively regulating oestrogen-induced uterine epithelial cell proliferation and in the preparation of the uterus for blastocyst implantation. In the latter programme, he pioneered studies on the role of macrophages and demonstrated that they promote tumour progression and malignancy. His work focused upon mechanisms behind these pro-tumoral actions of macrophages with a particular emphasis on metastatic disease.

Jeff was a member of the COST actions Mye-EUNITER and Mye-InfoBank, an European multi-centre initiative focused on identifying novel myeloid targets for cancer therapy.

Fellowships and awards

Jeff was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences.

Jeff Pollard received several awards most notably the American Cancer Society “Medal of Honour for Basic Science Research” for his studies in tumour immunology (2010), Rothschild Yvette–Meynet Curie award (2009), the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award (2013 – 2018) and the Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award (2013 – 2021).

Family

With his devoted wife and lifelong partner Ooi Thye Chong he shared an enduring passion for Japanese art, food and wine.