FibroFind, a Newcastle University spin-out and global leader in human tissue-based pre-clinical research, has been acquired by Vespa Capital to drive its next phase of growth and scientific innovation.
Founded in 2019 by Professors Jelena Mann, Derek Mann, Fiona Oakley and Dr Lee Borthwick at Newcastle University, UK, FibroFind was established to advance the development of therapies for fibrotic diseases using human-relevant, scientifically rigorous pre-clinical models. Following the Vespa transaction, Professors Derek Mann and Fiona Oakley have exited the business.
FibroFind’s patented Precision Cut Tissue Slice (PCTS) platform preserves the architecture and function of both healthy and diseased human tissue, providing unparalleled translational accuracy over conventional in-vivo (animal) and in-vitro models. This platform allows for the detailed study of drug safety, efficacy and mechanism of action in an ex-vivo environment that closely reflects human biology.
The company focuses on fibrotic diseases of multiple organs, providing injury-specific models and supporting the development of medicines that can prevent, halt or reverse fibrosis - the damaging thickening and scarring of tissue that underpins many chronic conditions and is involved in around 45% of diseases and deaths in the Western world.
Professor Jelena Mann, Professor of Epigenetics at Newcastle University and CEO of Fibrofind said: “Partnering with Vespa Capital marks an exciting step in FibroFind’s growth journey. We are already seeing strong international demand for our platform, and this investment will allow us to scale further, broaden our reach across therapeutic areas, and deepen our impact in pre-clinical drug development.
“As regulatory and industry momentum continues to shift towards human-relevant models, we are ideally placed to help our clients make faster, more confident decisions with better data."
David Forbes, Partner at Vespa Capital, said: “FibroFind is a unique and well-respected business with a strong reputation in an attractive and growing segment of the life science services sector. Professor Mann and Dr Borthwick have built a platform which allows customers to either progress to the clinical trial phase with confidence, based on the superior translational accuracy of the pre-clinical data, or to save customers hundreds of millions of pounds in failed clinical trials. We are excited about the opportunity to extend the reach of the company as it seeks to revolutionise drug testing and pre-clinical research.”
FibroFind was named Bionow Start-up of the Year in 2022 and recently won the Bionow Internationalisation Award. Its work is underpinned by decades of academic research and a growing body of high-impact publications.
Vespa Capital was advised by DLA Piper, Candesic, BDO, Lockton, EVMS and The Continuum. Debt facilities were provided by Santander.
FibroFind’s shareholders were advised by Grant Thornton and Mills & Reeve.
Academic papers from FibroFind
Find out more about Vespa Capital
Subject of Research
Human tissue samples