Oxford-based Scripta Therapeutics has emerged from stealth with a $12 million seed round to pioneer a fundamentally different approach to drug discovery that targets transcription factors—the master controllers of gene expression. The round was co-led by Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) and Apollo Health Ventures, with participation from AlbionVC, YZR Capital, Parkwalk Advisors, and support from Oxford University Innovation.
Revolutionary Biology-First Approach
Founded by Peter Hamley, an industry veteran from Sanofi, AstraZeneca, and Samsara Therapeutics, together with Professor Noel Buckley of the University of Oxford, Scripta is seeking to discover drugs that can reprogramme disease rather than simply treat symptoms. The company's approach revolves around transcription factors (TFs), which control gene expression and determine how cells behave in health and disease.
"We're flipping the script on conventional target-based drug discovery to find therapies that genuinely move the needle for patients," explained Hamley. "By focusing on understanding and manipulating the master controllers of biology, we're searching for drugs with the potential not just to delay disease progression but to stop it in its tracks."
Scripta's platform combines AI, imaging, and patient-derived models to build "disease maps" that decode how transcriptional networks drive pathology. This biology-up approach challenges decades of drug development orthodoxy by beginning with gene network analysis, identifying how diseases alter entire systems of transcriptional activity rather than focusing on a single molecule.
Addressing an Untapped Target Class
The company's research highlights a significant opportunity in drug discovery. There are around 1,600 transcription factors encoded in the human genome, yet the vast majority remain undrugged and poorly characterized. Although transcription factors account for a disproportionate share of disease-causing mutations, they are largely absent from today's drug pipelines.
Scripta's platform aims to change this by identifying indirect routes to modulate transcription factors, such as targeting upstream regulators or protein-protein interactions. Through this function-first strategy, the company's AI models trace how disruptions ripple across gene networks, pinpointing the key transcription factors that could restore balance when modulated.
Initial Focus on Neurodegeneration
Scripta's first disease area is neurodegeneration, where the unmet need remains vast and conventional approaches have struggled. The company's analyses of Alzheimer's patient data revealed numerous transcription factors associated with the disease that have been largely ignored in the literature, providing a rich pipeline of novel opportunities.
The company's biology-agnostic platform can extend to other indications—from cancer and fibrosis to inflammation—where transcriptional dysregulation plays a central role. This creates what Scripta calls a lab-in-the-loop discovery system that runs "from biology to drugs and back again," delivering disease-modifying therapeutics.
Strategic Leadership and Investment
Scripta announced the appointment of Ray Barlow, CEO of SynOx Therapeutics and a veteran of Amgen, J&J, and Kiadis Pharma, as Non-Executive Director. "Scripta brings fresh thinking and a novel biology-led, data-rich approach to a traditionally challenging area of drug discovery," Barlow commented. "I am looking forward to working with this outstanding team to deliver effective new medicines that are long overdue for so many patients."
Claire Brown, Partner at OSE and board member of Scripta, said, "We're proud to be backing Scripta – a brilliant team that exemplifies the next generation of technology-enabled drug discovery and capitalises on the strength of the University of Oxford and the wider Oxford ecosystem."
Marianne Mertens, Partner at Apollo Health Ventures, added, "Manipulating transcription factors in disease has long been seen as an intractable challenge, yet it holds tremendous promise for treating neurodegeneration and other life-limiting conditions. Scripta's innovative approach could deliver transformational therapies and exemplifies one of Apollo's key investment strategies: reprogramming diseased cells into healthy ones to tackle the root causes of age-related diseases and enable disease-modifying treatments."
UK TechBio Momentum
Scripta's emergence coincides with rapid growth for the UK's TechBio sector, where AI, computation, and biology are merging into a scalable model for drug discovery. According to the BioIndustry Association's (BIA) 2025 TechBio report, UK TechBio companies have raised over £1.5 billion in VC funding between 2020 and 2024, with Oxford and Cambridge at the heart of this ecosystem.
Notable recent deals include Isomorphic Labs' £449m Series A, CHARM Therapeutics' £59m Series B, and Relation Therapeutics' £40m seed round. BIA Managing Director Jane Wall notes that the sector is "consistently accounting for over 40% of all UK biotech deals," though it faces a "scale-up gap" due to limited domestic late-stage capital.
