We invest to extend and enhance human life and seek to unlock the potential of truly innovative science to transform patients’ lives.
We have made a significant contribution to the UK life sciences ecosystem since our foundation and continue to focus on how we can continue to evolve and improve the companies that are built here.
Focusing on the development of transformational treatments for patients in areas of high unmet medical need means we tend to operate in selective areas of science where the potential for a dramatic impact is high, for example in intractable diseases with no treatment options.
We are highly motivated by the potential impact of the treatments that our companies develop and believe that if we succeed in the development of these treatments, we will also see long-term value and benefits for all stakeholders.
The UK is and always has been home to world-class science. Four of the world’s top 10 life sciences and medicine universities are in this country, and the environment consistently delivers ideas which have the potential to translate into viable commercial products that can address devastating diseases. The issue historically, however, has been the challenges of accessing the risk capital required to scale cutting-edge research into globally leading companies that can represent and inspire the UK ecosystem. Syncona is committed to addressing this.
Since 2012, Syncona has been a key part of changing the landscape for ambitious life science company creation in the UK. As a direct consequence of Syncona’s actions many potential therapies have been taken from the academic bench into the clinic on an industrial and scalable footing. Our model of building companies with ambition, funding them at scale and focusing them on product development has provided founders with a partner who can provide the necessary support across the company lifecycle.
We believe we have a broad role to play in supporting the growth of the life science industry in the UK. We create, build and scale our portfolio companies to become standalone entities that create jobs, train employees, and share knowledge with others in the sector. Over 850 people are employed by Syncona and its portfolio companies in the UK, with Syncona portfolio companies currently having trials in clinical development across 26 sites in the UK.
The Syncona Foundation was set up in 2012 with charitable objectives focusing on the prevention, treatment, cure and ultimately eradication of cancer and other diseases, as well as other charitable activities.
Each year, Syncona provides a significant level of philanthropic funding to The Syncona Foundation which has ambitions aligned to our vision to deliver transformational treatments for patients and through which we believe we contribute to the wider healthcare ecosystem.
Read more about the Syncona Foundation here.