LIfT BioSciences expands into Ireland for manufacturing & clinical operations

LIfT BioSciences, a rapidly emerging biotech company preparing to start clinical trials for its first-in-class allogeneic innate cell therapy, today announces the expansion of its manufacturing and clinical operations with the opening of a new subsidiary in Galway, Ireland, Eolaíocht Bhitheach LIfT Teoranta. This expansion marks a major milestone for LIfT as it establishes a presence in the European Union (EU). LIfTs work in Galway will be carried out in collaboration with the University of Galway and Hooke Bio and with the support of Údarás na Gaeltachta.

This strategic expansion into the EU enhances LIfT’s global footprint and underscores the Company’s dedication to continuous research and scientific innovation. With headquarters in London, UK, the new Galway site strengthens the Company’s clinical stage research and manufacturing capabilities, providing access to Ireland’s established centres of excellence and ever-growing biotechnology sector as LIfT brings its immunomodulatory alpha neutrophils (IMANs) to patients.

Alex Blyth, Chief Executive Officer of LIfT BioSciences commented: “Our new Galway site represents a significant development in LIfT’s growth strategy by expanding our reach and expertise. We are committed to investing in manufacturing and clinical trials in the community of Ireland where we see an excellent fit with the expertise and a supportive environment for breakthrough science. Following our first close of a Series A financing, this positions us well as we prepare to move into clinical trials in Ireland for our allogeneic first-in-class neutrophil-based immuno-cell therapy and other exciting pipeline developments.  We are committed to overcoming drug resistance in solid tumours to positively impact the lives of more patients living with cancer, and we applaud the Irish Government for sharing in this commitment.”

Teresa Burke, Project Manager at Eolaíocht Bhitheach LIfT Teoranta commented: “I’m delighted to have joined LIfT BioSciences Irish Subsidiary, Eolaíocht Bhitheach LIfT Teoranta, as Project Manager. Being part of a team that’s dedicated to working towards an incredible goal is truly inspiring. This expansion into Ireland brings an opportunity to collaborate with industry leaders and I look forward to working together to drive this project forward.”

Tomás Ó Síocháin, Chief Executive Officer of Údarás na Gaeltachta commented: “We are delighted to welcome LIfT BioSciences’ expansion into Galway through their new subsidiary, Eolaíocht Bhitheach LIfT Teoranta. The collaboration between LIfT BioSciences, the University of Galway, and Hooke Bio highlights the existing regional strengths with the potential for global impact in biotechnology and other emerging life science technologies. We look forward to supporting LIfT BioSciences as they develop their groundbreaking cancer therapies and contribute to our thriving life sciences sector.

Professor Martin O’Donnell, Executive Dean of College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway commented: “The establishment of Eolaíocht Bhitheach LIfT Teoranta in Galway highlights a valuable synergy among LIfT BioSciences, Hooke Bio, Údarás na Gaeltachta, and the University of Galway. This collaboration is a significant step toward advancing cutting-edge cell therapies, driving impactful research, and building on our shared commitment to innovation in biotechnology. Together, we aim to cultivate an environment that supports the development of pioneering treatments, benefitting patients and enhancing the biotechnology ecosystem both locally and internationally.”

Dr Mark Lyons, Chief Executive Officer, HookeBio commented: “The opportunity to collaborate with LIfT on their groundbreaking cancer therapy is a fantastic opportunity for HookeBio and the reason our Mera technology was created. This project is perfectly aligned with our goal of bringing better solutions to the market to support screening for disease therapeutics while reducing the need for animal testing. Our collaboration is an excellent indicator of the strength and growth of the biotech sector in the region and Ireland’s position at the forefront of the Medtech industry.”

This news follows the recent announcement that LIfT BioSciences raised £10m in first close of Series A to advance first-in-class allogeneic innate cell therapy. LIfT is developing its ground-breaking patented IMAN product as an allogeneic cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumours. IMANs have been specifically designed to overcome treatment resistance and have the capacity to recognise tumour cells irrespective of mutation in an innate antigen-independent manner using threat pattern recognition. IMANs are then able to regenerate the immune response to launch and immune attack by recruiting and immunomodulating host immune effector cells such as T cells and NK cells, to give a durable response and long-lasting anti-tumour immunity. LIfT’s IMANs are generated using LIfT’s proprietary Neutrophil-based Leukocyte Infusion Therapy (N-LIfT) platform, with future iPSC-derived and gene engineered products in the pipeline.