Flagship Pioneering Marks Official Opening of UK Hub with Event Convening Life Science Leaders

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28 Nov, 2023, 00:01 GMT

Memorandum of Understanding with UK Government Outlines Areas of Cooperation

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and LONDON, Nov. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flagship Pioneering, the bioplatform innovation company, today marked the official launch of its UK presence with an event co-hosted in partnership with the UK Government's Office for Life Sciences, bringing together top leaders from industry, government, and academia with a focus on breakthrough innovation. The event marked Flagship's public announcement of its strategic commitment to the UK life sciences ecosystem a week after launching Quotient Therapeutics, its first company located in both the UK and US.

Earlier this year, driven by the country's strong commitment to scientific research and development, as well as its regulatory environment that supports a culture of innovation, Flagship began growing its presence in London and established an office, its first such office outside the United States. Located in London, the new office will serve as a regional hub for Flagship's operations in the UK, and into Europe.

"We are pleased to officially debut the UK effort today, which has been expanding behind the scenes for over a year," said Noubar Afeyan, Founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering. "With our announced regional hubs in both London and Singapore, Flagship aims to strengthen its position as a global leader in the biotech industry and enhance its ability to engage stakeholders around the world."

Earlier this month, Flagship announced its expansion into the Asia-Pacific region, with the establishment of a hub in Singapore and the appointment of André Andonian as Chair of Asia Pacific and Senior Advisor.

Flagship Pioneering creates and builds platform companies designed to generate multiple products that secure a healthier and more sustainable future. For more than 20 years, Flagship has originated and fostered more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in more than $90 billion (USD) in aggregate value. The current Flagship ecosystem comprises 40 impactful companies spanning human therapeutics, agriculture, and nutrition.

Though several Flagship companies, including Invaio and Inari, have operations outside the US, last week's unveiling of Quotient Therapeutics marks its first company co-anchored in the UK. Quotient is co-located in Cambridge, MA and Cambridge, UK with research facilities in both cities. Quotient's platform was created by Flagship scientists in partnership with leading geneticists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute (UK) and the University of Texas Southwestern (US).

"From Brunel's engineering revolution in the 19th century through to breakthroughs in genetic medicine in the 21st, British ideas have changed the world because of a willingness to ask big questions and do things differently," said Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology of the United Kingdom. "But to be successful, our innovators and risk-takers need backing. Flagship Pioneering choosing the UK as their home in Europe is another vote of confidence in our mission to put real financial firepower behind the UK's world-leading science. Backing the brightest ideas with serious capital will help deliver improved healthcare, new medical treatments, and high-skill jobs."

"The UK offers immense opportunities for collaboration with academic institutions, research centers, national data resources, and biotech startups," said Tom Kibasi, Flagship Senior Vice President and UK Initiative Lead. "We look forward to continuing to work closely with the UK biotech community and contributing to the advancement of scientific research and development in the country."

"The official debut of Flagship UK, and its strong and growing team in London comes at a time when the biotech sector is experiencing tremendous growth and innovation," said Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham who chairs Flagship's Preemptive Health and Medicine initiative. "I have no doubt that Flagship will make a tremendous contribution to the vibrant and innovative biotech ecosystem in the United Kingdom—and benefit from it, too."

About Flagship Pioneering

Flagship Pioneering is a biotechnology company that invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health or sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated and fostered more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in more than $90 billion in aggregate value. To date, Flagship has deployed over $3.4 billion in capital toward the founding and growth of its pioneering companies alongside more than $26 billion of follow-on investments from other institutions. The current Flagship ecosystem comprises 40 companies, including Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNLI), Foghorn Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FHTX), Generate:Biomedicines, Inari, Indigo Agriculture, Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Omega Therapeutics (NASDAQ: OMGA), Sana Biotechnology (NASDAQ: SANA), Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MCRB) and Tessera Therapeutics.