TWO SCIENTISTS who have developed a 3D human lung model that can assess the safety of new drugs without the use of animal testing have raised a £2 million investment to scale their operations.
Dr Abigail Martin and Professor Victoria Hutter have secured backing from the MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, managed by Mercia Ventures and part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, Mercia’s EIS funds and Pioneer Group. The funding will enable their company, ImmuONE, to move into new headquarters in Milton Keynes and new laboratories in Stevenage to meet the growing demand.
ImmuONE enables companies developing new products such as drugs, chemicals or cosmetics to meet legal requirements by showing they are safe for consumption and wider use. Current safety assessments are typically based on animal testing, which is not accurate at predicting the impact on humans, or use human cells taken by lung-scraping, an invasive process that only provides tissue from the upper lung.
ImmuONE’s approach involves growing human lower lung tissue and immune cells in a laboratory to create a 3D model. It not only enables companies to avoid the use of animals but also allows them to test the impact of their products on the small airways and inflammation in the lung, providing more reliable and reproducible results.
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Main picture: (from left) Dr Imelda Juniarsih of Pioneer Group; ImmuONE founders Dr Abigail Martin and Professor Victoria Hutter; Hannah Tapsell, of Mercia Ventures.
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Dr Martin said: “Having worked on drug development projects that involve animal testing, I have seen the difference that new drugs can make to patients’ lives. However, I felt there had to be a better way and set out to look for an alternative.”
She developed the model while working for her PhD at the University of Hertfordshire. She joined forces with Professor Hutter, her supervisor, to set up the business in 2019. They now have around 20 customers worldwide including blue chip chemical and consumer products companies. Since its launch two years ago, the biotech company has generated more than £1 million in revenue.
ImmuONE, which has been operating from university premises, is now in talks with a string of other leading brands. The funding will enable it to expand capacity, continue its research and development, grow its team and create six new jobs.
Investor Pioneer Group believes the model is set to transform the way in which new drugs are developed.
Investment associate director Dr Imelda Juniarsih said: “We are proud to have invested in ImmuONE, a ground-breaking company which by replacing animal testing with a new model, it has the potential to revolutionise the field of drug development and meet new business demands. As champions of innovation in the biotech sector, we look forward to supporting ImmuOne in the next steps of its exciting journey.”
Hannah Tapsell, investment manager at Mercia Ventures, added: “Around 90% of drugs shown to be safe and effective in animals do not work as planned in humans, which is one reason for the high failure rate in drug discovery. With growing demand for more effective testing models and pressure from consumers to replace animal testing, ImmuONE fills a clear gap in the market.
“Abigail and Victoria have not only created a powerful innovation but also achieved remarkable success in building a fast-growing business.”
Dr Martin said: “Our model not only enables companies to move away from animal testing but also improves safety for patients too. We look forward to working with many more clients and scaling the business with a view to global expansion in the future.”
Innovate UK Edge investment readiness support for ImmuONE. The Midlands Engine Investment Fund is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.
