International legal practice Osborne Clarke has advised a new Imperial College London spinout, Siftr Bio (Siftr) that aims to improve the performance of an emerging class of cancer treatments known as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), on its pre-seed fundraising.

ADCs are transforming the treatment of several types of cancer due to the improved precision they offer over traditional chemotherapies. By using antibodies to deliver payloads of highly potent chemicals directly to cancer cells, they provide a more powerful treatment for some cancer indications with fewer side effects. However, the drug release mechanisms in ADCs are not perfectly specific and they remain prone to damaging healthy cells.

Founded by Dr Daniel Lucy, Dr Ed Tate, and Dr Archie Wall, Siftr aims to expand the scope of ADCs by developing the chemistry used to link antibodies to cancer-killing molecules and prevent damaging healthy cells.

Siftr has received £1 million pre-seed funding from two US-based funds, lead investor Endeavor8 and Wilbe. The company has also taken up laboratory space in the White City Incubator, an Imperial innovation hub that provides space and support to deep science startups.

The Osborne Clarke team advising Siftr Bio was led by Partner Justin Starling and included Senior Paralegal Fern Tawera.

"Osborne Clarke were instrumental in helping us navigate the complex spin-out and investment process. Their breadth of expertise, steady guidance to first-time founders, and attention to detail gave us the confidence to focus on building the company and advancing our technology. We look forward to working with them again as we scale."

Dr Daniel Lucy, CEO and Co-Founder at Siftr Bio

Osborne Clarke's international venture capital team is a leading adviser from start-up through venture financing and the growth journey beyond, whether continuing to sale, IPO or international expansion. The team has an outstanding track record advising businesses, entrepreneurs and investors that are driving innovation in tech and life sciences sectors. Osborne Clarke's dedicated resource centre, OC Ventures, brings together experts from across our international network to deliver a seamless service to clients throughout the ventures ecosystem.

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