# NeoPhore Ltd

> NeoPhore is a UK small-molecule immuno-oncology company developing first-in-class inhibitors of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway. By temporarily switching off MMR, its drugs are designed to make tumours generate fresh neoantigens, become visible to the immune system, and respond to checkpoint immunotherapy - extending the benefit of drugs like Keytruda to patients whose cancers are otherwise immune-cold. A 2017 spin-out of Cambridge's PhoreMost, NeoPhore has raised roughly $47M and counts Bristol Myers Squibb and Memorial Sloan Kettering among its backers and collaborators.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Headquarters:** Cambridge, United Kingdom
- **Founders:** Alberto Bardelli (Scientific Founder), Giovanni Germano (Scientific Founder)
- **Team size:** ~20
- **Products:** PMS2 Programme, MLH1 Programme, MMR inhibitor (MMRi) platform
- **Notable:** Spun out of PhoreMost and the University of Turin on the back of pioneering MMR/neoantigen research (Germano et al., Nature 2017)., Raised approximately $47M across seed and Series B rounds., Attracted Bristol Myers Squibb as a strategic investor in 2024.

## Products & services

- **PMS2 Programme** — Lead programme developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of PMS2, a protein in the MMR pathway, to induce neoantigen expression and increase tumour immunogenicity.
- **MLH1 Programme** — Discovery programme targeting MLH1 within the MMR pathway to drive neoantigen creation and sensitise tumours to checkpoint blockade.
- **MMR inhibitor (MMRi) platform** — Proprietary drug discovery platform built to identify small molecules across the DNA mismatch repair pathway that convert immune-cold tumours into immune-responsive ones.

## Achievements

- Spun out of PhoreMost and the University of Turin on the back of pioneering MMR/neoantigen research (Germano et al., Nature 2017).
- Raised approximately $47M across seed and Series B rounds.
- Attracted Bristol Myers Squibb as a strategic investor in 2024.
- Secured a three-year research collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
- Assembled a scientific advisory board including Alberto Bardelli, Luis Diaz, Josep Tabernero and Gordon Mills.

## Latest updates

- **2024-12** — Michael Shih, a 20-year business development veteran from Kite Pharma, Biogen and Sanofi, appointed Chief Executive Officer and joins the Board.
- **2024-05** — Bristol Myers Squibb joins NeoPhore's oversubscribed Series B extension round.
- **2024-02** — NeoPhore raises an additional £9.6M (~$12.2M) Series B extension with NEVA SGR, LIFTT and Simon Fiduciaria.
- **2022-07** — Three-year research collaboration signed with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

## Links

- Website: https://neophore.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/neophore-ltd
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/neophoreltd

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/neophore-ltd
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-13