OMass Therapeutics selected by Fierce Biotech as a “Fierce 15” winner for 2024
Oxford, United Kingdom – 5th August 2024 – OMass Therapeutics (‘OMass’ or ‘the Company’), a biotechnology company identifying medicines against highly validated target ecosystems such as membrane proteins or intracellular complexes, today announces that it has been named by Fierce Biotech as one of 2024’s ‘Fierce 15’ biotechnology companies. The annual Fierce 15 companies are selected for being the most innovative and promising biotechnology companies in the industry and highlights OMass as one of the most ambitious and successful next generation biopharma companies.
Ros Deegan, Chief Executive Officer at OMass Therapeutics, commented:
OMass is redefining drug discovery for previously intractable targets by fundamentally innovating the process and it is an incredible honour to be recognised by Fierce Biotech as one of the Fierce 15. Over the past year OMass made significant progress in translating the outputs of our proprietary platform into an exciting pipeline of novel drugs including advancing the development of our lead program, an insurmountable antagonist of the MC2 receptor for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia towards the clinic. This recognition is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team and underlines our progress so far as well as our ambition to become a fully integrated pharma company bringing to market medicines that meaningfully improve patient lives.
Originally spun out of Oxford University, OMass has industrialised the groundbreaking research by the highly-awarded Oxford-based scientist, Professor Dame Carol Robinson. The Company is a world leader in the application of native mass spectrometry (MS) to drug discovery and has selected a number of high-value targets and is developing potent small molecule drugs with high therapeutics potential against these. Its proprietary platform, OdyssION™, integrates novel biochemistry techniques, with next-generation native MS, and custom chemistry, to allow for the interrogation of protein interactions within their native ecosystem while avoiding the confounding complexity of the cell demonstrated in its in-house pipeline.
OMass has already made significant progress with its portfolio of highly-validated, yet intractable or inadequately drugged targets. OMass’ lead programme is an insurmountable antagonist of the GPCR MC2 receptor for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia which is expected to complete IND-enabling studies in 2025. OMass additionally has a novel immunology portfolio including a SLC15A4 antagonist for lupus, a GPR65 agonist for the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and inhibitors of cGAS for inflammatory disorders.
OMass’s goal is to ultimately evolve into a fully integrated biopharma company that can take products to market whilst continuing to discover medicines in high unmet need indications within rare and immunological diseases. The Company will also explore collaborations and partnerships both in and outside of its core focus to ensure its platform is maximally exploited to the benefit of patients.
OMass has recently expanded its facilities and team, moving into purpose designed facilities on Advance Research Cluster Oxford, recruiting key executives and team members bringing its headcount to 57, and, notably, attracting Boston-based Industry-leader James (Jim) Geraghty as independent chair of its Board of Directors, bringing US and international experience from Genzyme and as NED and chair of multiple listed biotechs.
“For the past 22 years, we have evaluated hundreds of companies for inclusion in the ‘Fierce 15’ special report. Our selection process considers various factors, including technological robustness, strategic partnerships, venture support and market positioning,” said Ayla Ellison, Editor-in-Chief, Fierce Life Sciences and Healthcare. “This report highlights innovation and creativity amid intense competition.”
