Raising the bar on causal biology — Syncona’s Chris Hollowood

How evolving discovery, and a strategic pivot, are driving Syncona’s investments thesis on gene therapies and elsewhere

A paradigm shift in research tools, combined with large-scale unbiased screening, has positioned the biopharma industry not only to rethink target discovery, but also to execute more faithfully on causal biology, according to Syncona CEO Chris Hollowood.

Hollowood became CEO in 2023 of Syncona Investment Management Ltd., the investment arm of  Syncona Ltd. (LSE:SYNC), after serving as chief investment officer for over a decade, and spoke on The BioCentury Show about how discovery is evolving, why causal biology has been stuck in a loop of circularity, and where Syncona is headed. 

With portfolio company Purespring Therapeutics Ltd. as an example, Hollowood discussed the firm’s approach to gene therapy investments and how it is surmounting the field’s challenges, as well has how it looks at cell versus gene therapies, which have very different dynamics and considerations. He also discussed Syncona’s pivot last year, with a portfolio shift from 25% to over 85% clinical-stage companies, as well as how he sees the growth in the U.K. ecosystem enabling greater integration of discovery research and clinical trials.