Tozaro, a Bedfordshire-based developer of Smart Polymer technology for cell and gene therapy manufacturing, has secured £6 million in new funding to accelerate commercial partnerships and broaden access to gene therapies. The funding round was led by Mercia Ventures through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II and Mercia’s own funds, with participation from existing investors. The latest investment brings the company’s total funding to £23.7 million since its inception. Mercia first backed the business in 2015 when it operated under its former name, MIP Discovery.
Gene therapies have emerged as transformative treatments for certain cancers and genetic diseases, but their adoption remains constrained by high production costs. CAR-T therapies can cost more than £370,000 per patient, while some gene therapies for rare diseases exceed £1 million per treatment. Tozaro’s Smart Polymer platform is designed to reduce these costs by improving the manufacturing efficiency of viral vectors used to deliver modified genes into cells.
The company’s technology combines molecular modelling and machine learning and has already undergone testing by manufacturing companies. It is being developed for lentiviral vectors used in CAR-T treatments and for adeno-associated virus vectors applied in other gene therapies. Discussions are underway with global manufacturers as the company seeks to scale commercial adoption.
The broader cell and gene therapy market currently includes more than 70 approved products, with over 3,400 in development. Valued at more than $10 billion today, the sector is forecast to surpass $100 billion by 2034. Tozaro aims to position its Smart Polymer platform as a key enabler of more cost-effective production in this rapidly expanding market.
KEY QUOTES:
“Tozaro is leading the way in using high-value polymers to transform production of some of the world’s most innovative but costly medicines, and our technology is attracting global interest. By improving manufacturing yields and quality while reducing costs, we can remove the barriers and enable more patients to access these life-changing cell therapies.”
Jason Slingsby, CEO of Tozaro
“The growth of this exciting new generation of biological therapeutics is being held back by the extreme cost of production. Tozaro is developing an approach that will significantly reduce this cost, without shouldering the risk of clinical development of the therapeutic itself. It’s a real privilege to witness the significant commercial progress made over the past year, moving from platform development into meaningful engagement with downstream processing partners and potential customers.”
Mark Payton, CEO at Mercia Asset Management
“The Midlands Engine Investment Fund II was established to support the kind of innovation that helps businesses stand out, become market leaders and deliver better solutions to those who need them most. It is inspiring to see Tozaro based in Bedfordshire breaking barriers in the sector and we’re proud to play a role in their growth journey.”
David Tindall, Investor at British Business Bank
