DJS Antibodies, a UK-based developer of antibody therapeutics for inflammatory diseases, has received £6m ($8.4m) of funding from investors including Amgen Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of pharmaceutical firm Amgen.
Medical research charity LifeArc’s Seed Fund co-led the round with Sedgwick Yard, with participation from Oxford Sciences Innovation, a venture capital vehicle for University of Oxford, which was identified as an existing investor.
The investment will finance the development of two of DJS’s assets, including one being developed to treat chronic kidney disease. The funding will also enable the company to develop its technology platform.
David Llewellyn, co-founder and chief executive of DJS, said: “We are very excited to start working with LifeArc and such a strong group of investors.
“We share a vision of bringing first-in-class, high-impact therapeutic antibodies to the clinic, and this support will accelerate our growth towards becoming leaders in [G-protein coupled receptor] antibody discovery and development.”