Apollo Therapeutics

Collaboration translating early-stage science into clinical development.

Scientists working in the lab, using a touch screen

Apollo Therapeutics is a collaboration between three leading universities: UCL, Imperial College and University of Cambridge, and three global pharmaceutical companies (AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson).

It was set up in late 2015 as a fund of £40m (£30m from the pharma partners and £10m from the universities). 

Apollo seeks to translate breakthroughs in biology and basic medical research into innovative new medicines. With over 20 active therapeutic programs, six of which are in development, they are building a large, diversified portfolio of novel therapeutics with uncorrelated risk.

The strategy is based on four pillars: 

  • differentiated scientific access
  • portfolio model
  • capital efficiency
  • and excellence in decision making.

In order to translate research in the most time and capital-efficient way possible, in 2021 the ‘Apollo 2’ fund, Apollo Therapeutics Group Ltd, was been set up as a portfolio-based biopharmaceutical company with a £103m Series A financing deal. The financing was led by Patient Square Capital, with participation from additional investors including UCL Technology Fund, Rock Springs Capital and Reimagined Ventures. 

Oxford University, Kings College London and The Institute of Cancer Research have joined the consortium.

Dr Rick Fagan

Dr. Rick Fagan

Director of BioPharm

Dr Fagan is a cell and molecular biologist by training, gaining his PhD at McGill University, Canada. This was followed by a postdoctorate at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London, and then the National Institute for Medical Research.

Richard left to join AstraZeneca as a team leader in the Department of Target Discovery, then worked for SanofiAventis as a senior team leader. In 2001 he left SanofiAventis and joined Impharmatica as Associate Director Target Discovery and worked very closely with the business development team.

In 2006 he joined UCL Ventures as Assistant Director BioPharm, becoming Director in 2007.