Axovia Therapeutics

Developing therapies targeting ciliopathies.

Axovia is dedicated to developing disease-transformative therapies that target key aspects of ciliopathies, addressing the devastating impact of the disease head-on for patients, their families and caregivers.

Ciliopathies are a group of more than 55 rare inherited genetic diseases linked to more than 950 genes that impact the function of cilia, microscopic finger-like appendages that sit atop most cells in the body.

Those with ciliopathic symptoms generally experience a “rare disease odyssey” where these patients report having waited 5-30 years for the correct diagnosis, with the initial diagnosis being incorrect in 40% of cases.

Their lead development program focus is on Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS), known to cause at least 16 severe or life-threatening medical conditions including visual impairment that leads to early blindness, severe life-limiting obesity, learning difficulties, life-threatening kidney abnormalities and more.

The Axovia journey so far:

2020: the spinout was founded

Team

Professor Phil Beales

Founder and CEO

Professor Beales is a leading scientist and diagnostic expert in ciliopathies, spearheading the most comprehensive research and clinical effort on Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS).

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.