Cumulus Oncology Names Catherine Lewis La Torre to Board

Cumulus Oncology, the pioneering oncology-focused biotech company creation factory in Europe, has appointed Catherine Lewis La Torre to its Board of Directors. This significant appointment brings Catherine's extensive three-decade-long investment expertise in private equity, private debt, growth equity, and venture capital to the forefront of the company's strategic initiatives.

Catherine has a notable track record as the former Chief Executive of British Business Investments, British Patient Capital, and the British Business Bank. Her leadership in these organizations was instrumental in supporting innovative companies across the UK, particularly in the life sciences sector. Her career is marked by the design and implementation of ambitious private capital investment strategies, senior roles in European private equity firms, collaborations with top UK government representatives for loan guarantees and equity investment programs, and advising global institutional investors on private capital strategies.

Clare Wareing, CEO of Cumulus Oncology, expressed her enthusiasm about Catherine's appointment, emphasizing that her extensive experience in private equity and venture capital would be crucial as the company continues its growth trajectory. Clare highlighted the importance of this expertise as Cumulus prepares for its Series A financing to further its mission of establishing groundbreaking oncology-focused companies.

This appointment follows Cumulus Oncology's recent successful £9 million fundraising effort earlier this year. The company is scaling its operations with new team additions and initiating further collaborations on targets and assets. A key enhancement to their business model is the incorporation of a robust data sciences strategy to drive novel target identification and develop key patient subgroup intelligence. Cumulus differentiates itself by focusing on early-stage capital allocation and expertise in asset curation and de-risking.

Catherine Lewis La Torre expressed her honor in joining the Board of Directors at Cumulus Oncology. She noted that the company’s resource-efficient approach to creating companies is particularly relevant as investors seek more efficient ways to grow innovative firms and achieve significant milestones. She looks forward to contributing to the company's mission of advancing novel oncology therapeutics with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes.

Cumulus Oncology prides itself as Europe’s first biotech company creation factory dedicated to oncology therapeutics. The company sources innovative oncology assets from academic institutes, commercial drug discovery groups, and biopharmaceutical companies. A critical aspect of their business model is an early focus on molecularly selected patient sub-groups. The company integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) platforms into its decision-making process to prioritize targets and assets and build hypotheses around patient sub-groups.

Currently, Cumulus Oncology manages two spinout companies. Nodus Oncology, a DDR portfolio company, leads with a PARG inhibitor program that has shown positive data results. Meanwhile, GIO Therapeutics AG, launched earlier this year, is focused on developing therapeutics targeting GPCRs for oncology and inflammation. Cumulus provides early-stage capital and oncology drug development expertise, guiding each spinout company towards achieving key development milestones and value inflection points.

The founding team at Cumulus comprises successful life science entrepreneurs, scientists, and various professionals from the oncology drug development and pharma sector. Collectively, they have achieved the approval of 18 oncology assets, underscoring their capability and experience in the field.

Cumulus Oncology's forward-thinking approach and strategic appointments, such as that of Catherine Lewis La Torre, position the company to make significant strides in the oncology therapeutics landscape, ultimately benefiting patients with innovative treatment options.