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Epsilogen

Biotech & Life Sciences · London, United Kingdom · Founded 2016

Epsilogen is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company established in 2016 as a spin-out from King's College London. The company was founded by Professor Sophia Karagiannis, a translational cancer immunologist with extensive experience in both academic and biotechnology settings in the USA and UK. Her research group at King's College London was the first to design, evaluate, and advance anti-tumor Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies from a concept into clinical trials. Epsilogen is focused on developing a new class of antibody therapeutics for cancer treatment, leveraging the unique properties of different antibody isotypes, primarily IgE. The company's business model is centered on the research, development, and eventual commercialization of these novel antibody-based drugs. Its revenue generation will depend on achieving clinical milestones, potential partnerships with larger pharmaceutical companies, and ultimately, drug sales upon regulatory approval. Epsilogen has successfully raised significant capital to fund its operations, securing a total of $70.3 million over nine funding rounds. Key investors include Novartis Venture Fund, British Patient Capital, Epidarex Capital, 3B Future Health Fund, and ALSA Ventures. Epsilogen's core technology platform harnesses the natural function of IgE antibodies, which evolved to provide immunological defense against parasites. This functionality is repurposed to target solid tumors, offering benefits such as high potency, better tumor penetration, and a prolonged half-life in tissues compared to conventional IgG antibodies. The mechanism involves activating various immune cells, including macrophages and neutrophils, to create an inflammatory tumor microenvironment that attracts and activates T cells to destroy cancer cells. The company is pioneering this approach with its lead product candidate, MOv18 IgE, the first-ever IgE therapeutic to enter human clinical trials. This antibody targets folate receptor alpha (FRα), a protein highly expressed in several cancers, including ovarian, non-small cell lung, endometrial, and triple-negative breast cancer. A Phase I trial involving 26 patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer found MOv18 IgE to be safe and well-tolerated, with early signs of clinical activity, including tumor shrinkage in one patient at a much lower dose than typical for IgG antibodies. Following these encouraging results, a Phase Ib trial for MOv18 IgE in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients commenced in December 2024. In April 2025, Epsilogen acquired TigaTx, Inc., expanding its pipeline to include IgA antibodies and creating a pan-isotype cancer antibody company. Keywords: IgE antibody, cancer therapy, immuno-oncology, solid tumors, MOv18 IgE, folate receptor alpha, FRα, ovarian cancer, clinical-stage, pan-isotype, antibody therapeutics, Sophia Karagiannis, Tim Wilson, King's College London spin-out, TigaTx, IgA antibody, IGEG platform, immunotherapy, drug development, oncology, biopharmaceutical, venture capital funded, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer