Purespring Therapeutics

Founded: 2020
Founders: Prof. Moin Saleem
Prof. Mauro Giacca
Shareholding: 38%
Stage: Pre-clinical
Raised in a Series B in October 2024: £80m

Unless stated all financials at 31 December 2024

Purespring website

Purespring seeks to advance gene therapies for the treatment of chronic renal diseases that are currently poorly addressed with existing treatments.

Purespring is one of the first AAV gene therapy companies focused on the kidney globally and will seek to treat a number of debilitating chronic diseases that are currently poorly addressed with existing therapies. It has been founded around the seminal work of Professor Moin Saleem, Head of Bristol Renal where he heads a world leading group researching glomerular diseases.

Purespring has also established an in-vivo functional screening platform, FunSel, to initially screen for protective factors that could have applications across several kidney diseases. FunSel has been developed by Professor Mauro Giacca, a leader in gene therapy of cardiovascular disorders, and provides Purespring with a target discovery platform uniquely suited to systematically move gene therapy beyond monogenic disorders.

Investment thesis

A number of chronic kidney diseases are poorly addressed by existing therapies, which are primarily based around the lowering of blood pressure and often progressing to dialysis and kidney transplantation.
Purespring is developing disease modifying therapies for a number of monogenic and non-monogenic kidney diseases

Syncona team

John Tsai

John Tsai is an Executive Partner of Syncona Investment Management Limited He is currently the CEO of Forcefield Therapeutics and a Board member of Purespring Therapeutics and Spur Therapeutics. As an Executive Partner at Syncona, John works closely with Lead Partners and the wider investment team to support evaluation and execution of new and existing opportunities at Syncona, utilising his 20 ye…

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Position

Interim Chair

Qualification

Michael Kyriakides

Michael Kyriakides is a Principal of Syncona Investment Management Limited. He works closely with Syncona portfolio companies Spur Therapeutics, Purespring Therapeutics and Beacon Therapeutics. He previously also supported Nightstar Therapeutics, Gyroscope Therapeutics and Clade Therapeutics. Prior to joining Syncona, Michael was a member of the Life Sciences team at L.E.K. Consulting and a clinic…

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Position

Board member

Qualification

PhD

Alice Renard

Alice is a Principal of Syncona Investment Management Limited. She is also currently Head of Operations at Purespring Therapeutics and works closely with Anaveon. Alice is a Board member of iOnctura and Forcefield, and serves as an Observer on the Boards of Purespring and Anaveon. Prior to joining Syncona, Alice was an Investment Banking Analyst within Barclays’ Healthcare Corporate Finance and M&…

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Position

Board observer

Qualification

PhD