Maxion Therapeutics is developing antibody-based KnotBody therapeutics that combine naturally occurring mini-proteins (‘knottins’) with antibodies using phage and mammalian display technologies. The company is building a pipeline targeting ion channel- and GPCR-driven diseases, including autoimmune conditions, chronic pain, and cardiovascular disease. Its lead programme is MAX001, and Maxion intends to advance this asset toward clinical proof-of-concept. The company plans to use the newly raised capital to accelerate its expansion into a clinical-stage biotech and to progress additional programmes toward the clinic. Maxion was founded in 2020 by Dr John McCafferty and Dr Aneesh Karatt-Vellatt and is led by CEO Arndt Schottelius. It raised $72M in a Series A to fund these clinical development plans. Maxion Therapeutics applies its patented KnotBody platform to create antibody-like therapeutics by fusing cysteine-rich miniprotein 'knottins' onto antibodies to modulate ion channels and GPCRs. The KnotBody design aims to combine ion-channel blocking activity with the long half-life and engineerability of antibodies. Maxion's early R&D has produced KnotBodies against ion channel targets implicated in autoimmune disease, a target class with no antibody-based drugs currently approved or in clinical development. The company intends to use recent funding to advance, expand and optimise its pipeline and to progress the most promising candidates toward clinical trials for autoimmune indications and chronic pain. Financially, Maxion was awarded a £2 million Innovate UK grant and in February 2023 completed a £13 million Series A financing led by LifeArc Ventures, with Monograph Capital and BGF as equal participants. Maxion is based at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge and is led by CEO and co-founder Dr John McCafferty and CSO and co-founder Dr Aneesh Karatt Vellatt. Maxiom Therapeutics develops biologic medicines that target ion channels and G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), addressing diseases including autoimmune conditions and chronic pain. It applies a patented KnotBody platform that fuses cysteine-rich knottin miniproteins onto antibodies to combine knottins' functional activity with the drug-like properties of antibodies. The company says early R&D has yielded KnotBodies against several therapeutically relevant targets, which it intends to develop as selective, long-acting first‑in‑class and best‑in‑class therapeutics. Maxiom will use the Series A proceeds to advance development of antibody drugs against ion channels and GPCRs. The company is led by CEO and co‑founder Dr John McCafferty and CSO and co‑founder Dr Aneesh Karatt Vellatt. Maxiom is based in Cambridge, UK.

Total raised

$97M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Mar 2025