Press release
Jun 20, 2017

Sosei Subsidiary Heptares Plans Relocation to Cambridge, UK


Company to create a state-of-art R&D facility on Granta Park to support growth strategy

Tokyo, Japan – 20 June 2017: Sosei Group Corporation (“Sosei”; TSE Mothers Index: 4565) today reports that Heptares Therapeutics (“Heptares”), its wholly-owned subsidiary, is pleased to announce its plans to relocate to a new state-of-the-art facility at Granta Park, Cambridge, UK. The move to new premises follows Heptares’ rapid expansion in recent years and is intended to support the Company’s plans for progressing to market its own products derived from its G protein-coupled receptor drug discovery and development activities, as well as to continue advancing its broad pipeline of projects partnered with leading pharmaceutical companies.

The 35,000 square foot facility will house all of the company’s UK R&D team, with growth of its Zurich operation continuing uninterrupted. Heptares plans to move to the new facility in the second half of 2018, by which time it expects to employ over 130 highly skilled staff drawn from around the world, focused on discovery and clinical development of novel small molecules and biologics derived from its unique GPCR-focused structure-based drug design platform.

Malcolm Weir, Chief Executive Officer of Heptares and Chief R&D Officer of Sosei Group said “In relocating to Granta Park, Heptares is building a world-leading centre for the design and development of novel medicines targeting GPCRs – the most important family of drug targets in the pharmaceutical industry and the source of more than 40% of approved drugs. We have built an exceptional and truly international team in the UK, which has been crucial for our success to date. We anticipate that with enhanced links to the first-class research environment of Cambridge, whilst still maintaining links to the equivalent biomedical centres of excellence in London and Oxford, we can reinforce our world-leading position.”

Peter Bains, CEO of Sosei, added: “We are delighted with the very strong progress Heptares has made since it was acquired by Sosei in 2015. At that time, we stated our commitment to establishing Heptares as our core drug discovery and development engine to fuel our organic growth and partnering strategies. We are proud to fulfil this commitment through continued investment in Heptares and in this exciting move to state-of-the-art facilities in Cambridge.”

Heptares’ new facility will be named The Steinmetz Building as a tribute to Michael Steinmetz, who passed away in 2016. Michael, through US venture capital firm Clarus Ventures, was a crucial early investor in Heptares, and made a significant contribution to the development and success of the company in his role as a Board Director between 2007 and 2015.  


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