Slingshot Therapeutics, Syncona’s accelerator platform for advancing early-stage drug discovery programmes, has launched ALTx Therapeutics with an initial £12.55 million funding commitment from Syncona, the Francis Crick Institute, and Cancer Research Horizons. The new company will focus on developing precision cancer therapies targeting tumours that depend on the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway — a mechanism that enables cellular immortality in roughly 10–15% of cancers.

Spun out from research conducted at the Francis Crick Institute, ALTx is built on discoveries led by British scientist Simon Boulton, whose work has identified previously unexplored vulnerabilities within ALT-driven cancers. Because ALT activation is largely cancer-specific, the pathway presents a promising opportunity for first-in-class therapeutic development. ALTx plans to advance a pipeline of novel drug targets emerging from this research toward clinical testing.

ALTx becomes the second company to enter Syncona’s Slingshot accelerator, following Apini, a small-molecule programme originating from the University of Manchester. Slingshot was established to translate breakthrough academic science into clinic-ready drug candidates by providing founders with operational support, strategic guidance, and development infrastructure while allowing scientific leaders to continue driving innovation.

Boulton will serve as scientific founder and chief scientific officer, maintaining his leadership role in guiding the company’s research direction. A globally recognised authority in DNA damage repair and telomere biology, he brings deep oncology expertise, including prior co-founding experience with Artios Pharma, a DNA damage response-focused biotech developing multiple clinical-stage assets.

Executives involved in the launch highlighted the programme’s potential to unlock new treatment strategies for cancers with limited therapeutic options. Partners emphasised that combining foundational discovery science with focused translational support could accelerate progress toward meaningful clinical outcomes.

The initiative also reflects growing interest in exploiting tumour-specific survival pathways to develop targeted precision medicines. By concentrating on ALT-driven cancers — including several rare, paediatric, and hard-to-treat tumour types — ALTx aims to translate advanced telomere biology research into therapies that address unmet patient needs.