Funding to support colorectal cancer platform targeting ‘undruggable’ proteins
University of Bath spin-out Revolver Therapeutics has secured £572k to advance a drug discovery platform designed to target transcription factors, proteins long regarded as among the most difficult targets in cancer research.
The investment round was led by QantX, with follow-on funding from the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S), managed by Future Planet Capital, and the University of Bath.
The funding will support development of the company's Transcription Block Survival platform and its pipeline of peptide-based therapies for colorectal cancer.
Transcription factors regulate which genes are switched on and off inside cells and play a central role in tumour growth and survival. However, because they lack the binding sites targeted by conventional small-molecule drugs, they have traditionally been considered "undruggable".
Revolver's approach uses specially designed peptides capable of entering cells and blocking these proteins, overcoming a long-standing obstacle in drug development.
The platform originated from research at the University of Bath and was commercialised with support from the University's technology transfer team.
According to the company, the new funding will enable further development of both the technology platform and therapeutic candidates targeting colorectal cancers with unmet clinical need.
Dr Jody Mason, chief scientific officer at Revolver Therapeutics and professor of biochemistry at the University of Bath, said the investment reflects confidence in the underlying science.
"For years, transcription factors have been seen as some of the most important, yet most stubborn, targets in cancer, sitting beyond the reach of conventional drugs," Mason said.
"We've already shown we can stop tumour cells growing in the lab while cracking the challenge of getting our molecules inside cells, a hurdle that has held this field back for years."
He added that the funding would allow the company to build on those findings and move closer to developing new treatments for colorectal cancer and other diseases.
Richard Haycock, co-founder and chief executive of QantX, said the company was tackling one of drug discovery's most difficult scientific challenges.
"By going after targets that have defeated conventional drugs for decades, Revolver could open the door to a whole new way of treating cancer and other hard-to-tackle diseases," he said.
UKI2S first invested in the company in 2024 and has now provided follow-on funding to support further development.
Oliver Sexton, investment director at UKI2S, said the company had developed "an exciting new approach to cancer treatment" through its cell-penetrating peptide platform.
Revolver Therapeutics is one of a growing number of university spin-outs translating laboratory research into commercial drug development, with the latest investment intended to accelerate progression from platform technology towards potential clinical applications.
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