DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Malin Corporation plc. ("Malin"), an Irish based and globally operating life sciences company, today announced that it has acquired a 33% shareholding of Wren Therapeutics Limited (“Wren”). Wren is a newly created biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, UK with a focus on drug discovery and subsequent clinical translation of molecules which will impact protein misfolding diseases.
Wren was spun out of the University of Cambridge, UK, and Lund University, Sweden and was formally founded as a business entity in 2016. The company’s proprietary technology can be broadly applied to the more than 30 human protein misfolding diseases. These conditions include a number of significant and devastating major neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases as well as several non-neurological disorders including type-2 diabetes.
Wren’s scientific Founders include Prof. Chris Dobson FRS FMedSci, Prof. Michele Vendruscolo and Prof. Tuomas Knowles from the University of Cambridge, and Prof. Sara Linse from Lund University.
Under the terms of the transaction, Malin has an option to increase its shareholding in Wren to 67%. Malin CEO, Kelly Martin and Malin Chief Investment Officer, Adrian Howd, Ph.D, will also join the Board of Wren. Sam Cohen, Ph.D., Malin Chief Technology Officer and Research Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge, will be closely involved with all aspects of Wren including the continued advancement of the technology and the subsequent assessment of opportunities for clinical progression.
Kelly Martin, CEO of Malin, said: "The creation of Wren provides an example of what is possible to accomplish at the intersection of a unique idea or set of ideas, clarity in understanding particular human health needs, diverse – in their approaches and backgrounds – world class talent and, importantly access to long term, unencumbered and business aligned capital. I have known Chris Dobson for well over a decade and have the highest regard for him personally as well as professionally. We have some unfinished business to tend to in the area of certain neurological afflictions and we are delighted to be working alongside Chris and his colleagues from Cambridge and Lund in tackling this long standing area of significant human need.”
Prof. Chris Dobson, John Humphrey Plummer Professor of Chemical and Structural Biology at the University of Cambridge and Master of St John’s College, one of the Founders of Wren, added: "Alzheimer’s disease and its related conditions are currently incurable and represent a huge and increasing challenge to global health care in the 21st century. Wren is built on the results of many years of scientific research into the fundamental origins of these conditions, and is uniquely placed to develop rational therapeutic strategies based on the novel principles that have emerged from such studies. We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Malin to create a programme that is directed at delivering much needed treatments to patients suffering from these debilitating illnesses."
About Malin Corporation Plc.
Malin is an Irish incorporated public limited company. Its purpose is to create shareholder value through the selective long-term application of capital and operational expertise to private, pre-IPO, pre-trade sale operating businesses in dynamic and fast growing segments of the life sciences industry. Through its operational involvement, Malin works with its investee companies to enable them to reach the full potential of their value proposition and to achieve commercial success. For more information visit www.malinplc.com
About Wren Therapeutics Ltd.
Wren Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge UK, focused on drug discovery and development for protein misfolding diseases, which include Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, type-2 diabetes, and many rare forms of amyloidosis. Wren’s proprietary technology platform is built on new and fundamental understanding of the origins of these diseases and is based on decades of scientific research at the University of Cambridge and Lund University. Wren is using this platform to develop small molecule therapeutics for multiple protein misfolding diseases, including major neurological and rare disorders.
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