Medella was founded by Biofusion to exploit the intellectual property stemming from the internationally renowned research of Professor Tim Skerry and his team at the University of Sheffield. The technology focuses on the use of monoclonal antibodies to inhibit the action of Adrenomedullin (ADM) a molecule found in 80% of cancer cells. This molecule is known to:
encourage the growth of the new blood vessels, which are necessary for the growth of cancer cells;
inhibit the body’s immune response, so the body’s natural defenses stop fighting the cancer; and
interfere with a cell’s natural suicide mechanism which allows cancer cells to survive for longer.
It is believed that ADM is a key molecule in enabling cancer cells to survive and Professor Skerry and his team are developing drugs that will inhibit ADM signalling in cancer cells to stop tumour growth.