Mestag Therapeutics, a biotech startup harnessing fibroblast immunology to develop treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases, has secured £30 million in funding from SV Health Investors, Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JJCD), Forbion, GV and Northpond Ventures. The financing will support the Phase 1 STARLYS clinical study, which is anticipated to start in cancer patients in mid-2026.
Mestag Therapeutics develops antibody therapeutics designed to direct and drive the immune system using fibroblast-immune biology. Its programme MST-0312 is a FAP-targeted bispecific antibody directed to lymphotoxin-β receptor (LTBR) designed to induce the formation of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) and high endothelial venules (HEV) within solid tumours. Clinical data correlates the presence of TLS and HEV in solid tumours with improved patient survival and enhanced response to therapy.
MST-0312 is described as a first- and best-in-class programme designed to pioneer a therapeutic approach to the treatment of cancer, including tumours that are typically resistant to immunotherapy. The financing will support progression of the programme into the Phase 1 STARLYS clinical study.
Alongside the financing, Mestag Therapeutics announced the appointment of Lindsey Rolfe as Chief Medical Officer and Pascal Merchiers as Chief Development Officer. Lindsey Rolfe brings more than three decades of clinical experience and most recently served as Chief Medical Officer of 3B Pharmaceuticals in Berlin, where she established the clinical development function and oversaw early-stage clinical trials. Pascal Merchiers has more than 25 years of experience leading drug discovery and preclinical development programmes and most recently served as Chief Development Officer at Commit Biologics.
We are thrilled to welcome Lindsey and Pascal to the team at this exciting time as we progress our groundbreaking program MST-0312 into the STARLYS clinical trial. Lindsey’s extensive experience leading global development, medical affairs and regulatory affairs across multiple programs, including regulatory approval, will be instrumental in shaping the advancement of our clinical programs. Additionally, we welcome Pascal, with his breadth and depth of expertise in cancer and inflammatory disease, to drive our development activities, including our innovative pipeline and platform uniquely focused on fibroblast immunology.
