UCL Business

Breakthrough immunotherapy treatment for leukaemia to be made available to NHS patients NICE has announced that AUCATZYL® can be made available on the NHS to eligible patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

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of AUCATZYL® by the UK MHRA earlier this year. It has also been approved for use in eligible patients in the U.S and in the EU.

Congratulations to the whole Autolus team on this important obe-cel milestone that will change people’s lives.

Learn more here: www.uclb.com/2025/11/25/n...

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the specific signature of their cancer. These cells are then returned to the body as ‘living medicine’.

Crucially, obe-cel is a major improvement on existing CAR T technology, which remains active in the body over longer periods and causes fewer side effects.

The NICE decision follows approval

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to NHS patients ‘within weeks’. It can be used in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), which has not responded to treatment or has returned.

AUCATZYL® is the product name for a variant of CAR T-cell therapy which reprogrammes a patient’s T-cells to recognise and target

NICE has today announced that AUCATZYL® can be made available on the NHS to eligible patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia! 🥳

This huge step forward means the pioneering immunotherapy treatment, developed by UCLB spinout venture Autolus Therapeutics, will be available

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UCLB and UCL join leading university technology transfer offices to welcome new guidelines on forming software spinout businesses A new guide designed to accelerate and support the development of a new generation of innovative software spinouts has been launched by a leading group of universities with backing of major investors.

... model enables rapid, fair deal formation with 90%+ equity for founders of non-patentable intellectual property (IP).

Remind yourself of USIT and how it benefits research commercialisation 👉 www.uclb.com/2024/05/20/u...

... to the expert workshop on this guidance last week, discussing how to attract investment while protecting institutional interests and be financially sustainable.

She shared more about the UK’s experience through the USIT Guide, our founder-friendly equity deals: our Portico Ventures

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eu flags with the caption below: Anne Lane contributes to EU blueprint workshop for licensing and spinoff creation

Europe wants to lead the way for ease and fairness of IP commercialisation.

Under the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, the European Commission is creating a blueprint for licensing, revenue-sharing, & equity participation for academic institutions & inventors.

Our CEO, Anne Lane, contributed

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... even AZ and Merck have chosen to retreat.

The cutting-edge tech & life-changing research coming out of institutions like UCL could help realise the first homegrown trillion-pound company.

There is plenty to be excited about - read the article here (p39): onenucleus.com/publications

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The AI revolution in life sciences is already here – and it’s changing the sector.

Our CEO, Anne Lane has written about university spinouts, AI and investment in the UK for One Nucleus, sharing her excitement for the potential of the sector here in Britain...

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Previously, he was focused on producing excellent academic research, but now - after licensing his own work - Stefan is keen to patent technologies and see them used in real-world applications, alongside writing high quality, impactful papers.

See you at our next IO Converse in January?

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Thank you to Professor Stefan Howorka for his insightful contributions at our recent IO Converse session!

Professor Howorka, a pioneer of nanopore technology, shared that his attitude towards research has shifted following his journey to commercialisation in a discussion with Barny Cox.

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Autolus breaks new ground: first MS patient dosed in obe-cel Phase 1 trial UCLB spinout Autolus Therapeutics has announced a major milestone: the first patient dosed in its Phase 1 BOBCAT trial of obecabtagene autoleucel (obe-cel) for progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS).

... one that is already offering hope to blood cancer patients.

Emily Henders, a 37-year-old biology teacher & mum of two, shared her decision to participate with Sky News.

We look forward to seeing how this trial develops! 👏

Read more: www.uclb.com/2025/10/24/a...

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This ‘one-time’ treatment sees patients receive an infusion of their own T-cells, modified to recognise and hunt down rogue elements in their immune system, which are the underlying cause of multiple sclerosis.

The beginning of the trial marks a significant expansion of the therapy platform...

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Woman in hospital bed receives treatment from a nurse, while she talks to a doctor at the foot of her bed. Family members in the room look on hopefully

A groundbreaking multiple sclerosis trial, that could offer hope to millions, has begun using Autolus Therapeutics CAR T-cell therapy platform.

Patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS) are receiving 'obe-cel' treatment in this phase 1 trial at UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

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UCL spinouts amongst the top for investment in the UK UCL has cemented its position as a powerhouse for innovation, with its spinouts being amongst the top for equity investment value in 2024, according to Beauhurst.

The report also noted that UCL has 'a proportionally high number of spinouts' in the government's priority sectors.

Read more about these stats: www.uclb.com/2025/10/21/u...

UCL and its spinouts are leaders for equity investment, according to the Beauhurst report! 🏆

The analytics company ranked UCL fourth for the number of equity deals secured by spinouts in 2024, and second for equity deal volume.

Ana said:
> 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲: evaluating ideas, shaping business plans, offering IP or licensing advice
> 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: connecting founders with advisers & collaborators
> 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: helping with grant applications, translational funding, providing PoC funds to test / prototype ideas

and more were vital.

How can universities support founders of social ventures? 🤝

This was the topic of discussion at the Bates Wells and London Social Venture (LSV) event on 9th October...

Analia Lemmo, UCLB Senior Business Manager, joined the panel to share how ideas can be turned into impact.

UCLB is proud to call the Euston Knowledge Quarter home and be leading the momentum with:

- 95 active spinouts across healthcare, AI, and tech
- Over £3 billion raised in external investment over the last five years
- and the creation of 2,400 jobs.

The trajectory of this possibility is incredibly exciting:
adding £3.5 billion to the economy, creating 30,000 new jobs, and driving breakthroughs in cancer, Alzheimer’s, sustainable energy & more.

Such growth would exceed that of Boston's Kendall Sqaure...!

Woman in purple jacket with blonde hair talks enthusiastically, sat at a table with others over coffee.

What if the next global innovation supercluster wasn’t in Boston or Silicon Valley - but in Euston? 🌍

Our CEO Anne Lane joined leaders from Camden Council, Lendlease, UCL partner hospitals and more for the 'Unlocking Inclusive Growth Through Innovation' breakfast at #Lab25 in Liverpool yesterday.

IO Converse: Revolutionising biotechnology through nanopore sequencing

... in introducing an innovative protein pore into ONT's devices.

Dr Barny Cox, Senior Business Manager at UCLB, will chair the session on:

📅 16 October 2025
🕑 12.30pm-2pm (light lunch provided)
📍 90 Tottenham Court Road

Register your place here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/io-convers...

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🚨IO Converse is back!

Don't miss your chance to hear from @ucl.ac.uk’s Professor Stefan Howorka about his journey from academic research to real-world impact.

Prof. Howorka will discuss his experience working with Oxford Nanopore Technologies, an Oxford spinout, including his pivotal role... 1/

... of development of many of our highly successful spinouts across a multitude of disciplines.

Take a look at our stats on PoC funding or find out more about how it's helped UCL spinouts: www.uclb.com/2025/09/23/t...

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Both were nominated by UCLB.

PoC funding has been a vital part of the commercialisation landscape at UCL for almost 20 years.

It helps bridge the funding gap between research grants and investment, supporting the early stages...

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Thrilled to announce two @ucl.ac.uk researchers have been awarded Proof of Concept funding by @ukri.org.

Max Besenhard's smart chromatography for sustainable drug analysis and purification has been recognised, as has Youngjun Cho's accessible journey planner for disabled people, AI Mapper+.

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The IO Inspire Autumn Programme begins next month! ⌛

IO Inspire is a free weekly lunchtime programme for UCL academics looking to explore the commercial potential of their research.

Find out more and register for the programme here:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/io-inspire...

Google announces £5bn AI investment in UK before Trump visit Rachel Reeves says move is a ‘vote of confidence’ in British economy as she prepares to open firm’s first UK datacentre

Good news! Google has said it will invest £5bn in the UK in the next two years to help meet growing demand for artificial intelligence services, in a boost for the government, @theguardian.com reports. Coincides with US president Donald Trump's visit @uclb.bsky.social @profgeraintrees.bsky.social

Why Merck and AstraZeneca may regret turning their back on Britain The pair may have gone cold on the UK but start-ups and university spinouts here are using AI to revolutionise drug discovery

Could these companies be turning their backs at precisely the wrong moment?, asks @profgeraintrees.bsky.social after US firm Merck put the brakes on a £1 billion London research centre & AstraZeneca said it would pause a £200m investment to expand its research and development arm in Cambridge