Capella BioScience

About Capella BioScience

Capella BioScience Ltd. operated as a clinical-stage biotechnology firm with a clear focus on the development and commercialization of monoclonal antibody (mAb) medicines. Founded in 2014 by Steve Holmes, who also served as the Chief Operating Officer, the company established its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. The firm's strategic direction was centered on leveraging proprietary technologies to address challenging and novel drug targets, primarily within the therapeutic areas of oncology and autoimmune diseases.

The company's business model was rooted in biopharmaceutical research and development, aiming to advance its pipeline of therapeutic antibody programs from discovery towards clinical evaluation. Capella BioScience successfully secured significant financial backing to fuel its R&D initiatives. The funding journey began with a seed round of $2.35 million in December 2014 from investors including Index Ventures. This was followed by a substantial Series A financing round in March 2016, which raised £11 million (approximately $15.5 million) and was led by a syndicate of specialist investors: Advent Life Sciences, Medicxi Ventures, and Osage University Partners. The company raised a total of $22.8 million over three rounds.

Capella's product development pipeline included two main programs. The first, CBS001, was a neutralizing monoclonal antibody targeting the inflammatory membrane form of LIGHT (TNFSF14), with potential applications in treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The second program, CBS004, involved a monoclonal antibody aimed at blood dendritic cell antigen 2 (BDCA2), being investigated for the treatment of conditions like lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis. A significant milestone in the company's history occurred on February 16, 2021, when it was acquired as part of a merger that formed Centessa Pharmaceuticals. This transaction involved the consolidation of ten privately held biotech companies, with Capella being one of the foundational assets contributed by Advent Life Sciences. The rationale behind Centessa's formation was to create an asset-centric model, allowing focused execution on promising programs within a larger, well-funded operational framework.