LIfT BioSciences

What LIfT BioSciences does

LIfT BioSciences is a privately held, clinical-stage UK biotech founded in 2016 by Alex Blyth following the loss of his mother to pancreatic cancer, developing allogeneic cell therapies that re-engage the innate immune system against solid tumours. The company's proprietary N-LIfT (Neutrophil-based Leukocyte Infusion Therapy) platform produces Immunomodulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs) — first-in-class, long-lived (approximately one month), cryopreservable neutrophil-lineage cells derived from exceptional donor stem cells (iPSC or HSC) cultured in proprietary enhancement media. IMANs employ a dual mechanism of action: antigen-independent direct tumour killing via innate neutrophil cytotoxic mechanisms combined with recruitment and activation of patient T cells and NK cells, converting immunologically 'cold' solid tumours into 'hot', inflamed environments. Building on the unmodified IMAN lead product, the company is developing next-generation engineered IMANs and CAR-iN-LIfT, a CAR-engineered neutrophil variant produced in partnership with pharmaceutical companies.

LIfT's lead clinical indication targets treatment-resistant metastatic cervical and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas — tumour types where checkpoint inhibitor failure and antigen escape drive approximately 90% of solid tumour cancer deaths. Preclinical data have shown synergy with CAR-T in models of treatment-resistant cervical and pancreatic cancers, supporting a positioning claim that IMANs could more than double patient response to a $43 billion checkpoint inhibitor market. Operations are conducted from a London headquarters, an Irish subsidiary (Eolaíocht Bhitheach LIfT Teoranta) in Galway supporting EU manufacturing and clinical activity, and a Boston office for US operations.

The business model is a B2B biotech GTM with two principal revenue paths: (1) licensing and partnership agreements with pharmaceutical companies for CAR-engineered IMANs across multiple solid tumour indications, generating upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalties on net sales; and (2) clinical trial activity via investigator-initiated trials at academic medical centres (initially the University of Galway Phase 1 study) with associated grant funding. LIfT is not yet revenue-generating: its Phase 1 first-in-human trial is scheduled for Q4 2026 / early 2027, supported by cumulative funding of over £17 million in equity plus a €12 million DTIF grant. The company is led by interim CEO Bo Rode Hansen (from January 2026, succeeding founder Alex Blyth) with a Scientific Advisory Board chaired by Nobel laureate James P. Allison.

Name

LIfT BioSciences

Legal name

LIfT BioSciences Ltd

Website

https://liftbiosciences.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LIfT BioSciences is a UK clinical-stage biotech developing allogeneic neutrophil-based cell therapies (IMANs) via its N-LIfT platform to treat treatment-resistant solid tumours, licensing the technology to pharmaceutical companies and advancing a Phase 1 trial in cervical and head and neck cancers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Cell Therapy

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Cell Therapy Developers (Allogeneic/Off-the-shelf) (HLAAABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stem Cell Therapies (MSC/iPSC/HSC-derived) (HLAAABAE), Transplantation & Advanced Therapies Pharmaceuticals (incl. Cell & Gene Therapies) (HLAIAAAO), Stem Cell–Based Regenerative Therapies (HLAAAGAA)

Keywords

• Allogeneic cell therapy
• Neutrophil immunotherapy
• Solid tumor treatment
• Cancer cell therapy
• Immunomodulatory cell therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Licensing and Partnership Agreements: LIfT is pursuing licensing and partnership deals with pharmaceutical companies to develop and commercialize engineered IMAN cell therapies across multiple solid tumor indications. Revenue will come from upfront payments, milestone payments, and royalties on net sales.
2. Clinical Trial Revenue: Revenue generated through investigator-initiated clinical trials conducted in partnership with academic medical centers, potentially including grant funding support.
3. JLABS Residency Support: Strategic collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation JLABS provides access to manufacturing and clinical testing infrastructure.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LIfT BioSciences develops allogeneic cell therapies based on its proprietary N-LIfT platform, producing Immunomodulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs) from exceptional donor stem cells (iPSC or HSC) using proprietary enhancement media and genetic engineering. IMANs are off-the-shelf, first-in-class neutrophil-lineage cell therapies designed to directly kill tumour cells and re-ignite anti-tumour immunity in cancer patients with treatment-resistant solid tumours. The company is preparing a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial in metastatic cervical and head & neck cancers, and pursues licensing/partnership agreements with pharmaceutical companies for broader commercialisation across multiple solid tumour indications.

Product overview

LIfT BioSciences offers a platform-plus-products architecture centred on its proprietary N-LIfT platform, which produces Immunomodulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs) — a first-in-class allogeneic neutrophil-lineage cell therapy. The core product IMANs directly kill tumour cells and re-ignite anti-tumour immunity in treatment-resistant solid tumour patients. Building on this foundation, the company is developing Engineered IMANs and CAR-iN-LIfT as next-generation sub-products that incorporate genetic engineering and CAR technology for enhanced tumour targeting. The platform enables scalable, GMP-ready manufacturing of consistent, therapeutically-optimised neutrophil cells.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IMANs: Immunomodulatory Alpha Neutrophils - first-in-class, off-the-shelf neutrophil-lineage cell therapies designed to directly kill tumour cells and re-ignite anti-tumour immunity in cancer patients.
• N-LIfT
• CAR-iN-LIfT

Products and services

• IMANs (Immunomodulatory Alpha Neutrophils) First-in-class allogeneic neutrophil-lineage cell therapy designed to directly kill tumour cells and re-ignite anti-tumour immunity in cancer patients who progress on standard treatments. IMANs recruit and modulate the patient's own immune system to deliver a durable anti-tumour response.
• N-LIfT Platform (Neutrophil-based Leukocyte Infusion Therapy) Proprietary patented platform that produces IMANs from exceptional donor stem cells cultured in a proprietary enhancement media, enabling scalable and potent cell production. Supports both unmodified IMANs and next-generation engineered IMAN therapies.
• CAR-iN-LIfT Second-generation engineered IMAN product combining CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) technology with the N-LIfT platform for enhanced targeting of solid tumours. Part of the company's portfolio of engineered IMAN cell therapies.
• Engineered IMANs Next-generation IMAN therapies developed using iPSC technology and genetic engineering with pharmaceutical partners to achieve cost-effective, long-term remission for cancer patients. Includes CAR-engineered variants targeting specific solid tumour indications.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than double patient response to targeted therapies such as checkpoint inhibitors ($43 billion market)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• DTIF Consortium (University of Galway + Hooke Bio)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2025LIfT-led consortium awarded €12 million DTIF grant for advancing IMAN therapy through first-in-human clinical trials. Consortium combines LIfT's immunotherapy platform, University of Galway's oncology expertise, and Hooke Bio's analytical capabilities.
• University of GalwaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2025Strategic collaboration for first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial of IMAN therapy in patients with metastatic cervical cancer and head & neck cancer. University of Galway brings expertise in oncology, patient care, and advanced manufacturing. The trial will test safety and feasibility with plans to expand to combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
• Hooke BiocoreTechnology or Integration · 28 April 2025Collaboration using Hooke Bio's Mera body-on-a-plate platform for clinical analytics and biomarkers to support IMAN therapy development. Provides analytical expertise to enhance therapy response rates and support clinical trial evaluation.
• Saeb-Parsy Lab at University of CambridgemajorTechnology or Integration · 16 May 2024Collaboration for in vivo studies using advanced humanized mouse models to assess IMAN safety, efficacy, and mechanism of action. Funded by Innovate UK grant of over one million pounds.
• JLABS @ BE (Johnson & Johnson Innovation)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2022LIfT accepted as resident at Johnson & Johnson Innovation JLABS, providing access to manufacturing infrastructure and clinical testing support. Part of strategic collaboration for innovative immunotherapies development.
• Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)majorTechnology or IntegrationKnowledge Transfer Partnership awarded 'Outstanding' rating for developing and validating advanced 2D and 3D cancer modeling platforms to evaluate IMAN cell therapy. Led by KTP Associates Connor McGarrity-Cottrell and Christos Ermogenous.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fate Therapeutics: Develops iPSC-derived off-the-shelf NK and T-cell cancer immunotherapies. Closely comparable as a platform-plus-product iPSC-derived allogeneic cell therapy developer targeting solid and hematologic tumors.
• Century Therapeutics: iPSC-derived allogeneic cell therapies (NK and T cells) including engineered variants for oncology. Directly comparable in approach (iPSC platform, allogeneic, engineered cell products).
• Nkarta Therapeutics: Allogeneic NK cell therapy developer for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Comparable as an off-the-shelf innate immune cell therapy company pursuing solid tumor indications.
• Shoreline Biosciences: iPSC-derived allogeneic NK cell immunotherapies developed via partnerships with pharma. Closely aligned on iPSC-derived innate cell therapy platform approach and pharma partnership GTM.
• MiNK Therapeutics: Allogeneic invariant NK T (iNKT) cell therapy company for cancer and immune-mediated diseases. Highly comparable given it was co-founded by LIfT's CSO Dr. Mark Exley.
• Caribou Biosciences: Allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy developer using CRISPR gene editing. Comparable as a clinical-stage allogeneic cell therapy developer using engineered immune cells.
• Adicet Bio: Allogeneic gamma delta T-cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune disease. Comparable as an off-the-shelf engineered innate-like immune cell therapy company.
• Precision BioSciences: Allogeneic CAR-T immunotherapy developer using ARCUS gene editing for oncology. Comparable as an allogeneic engineered cell therapy company targeting solid tumors and hematologic cancers.
• Cellectis: Clinical-stage allogeneic CAR-T developer using TALEN gene editing. Comparable as an allogeneic engineered cell therapy platform company pursuing oncology indications.

Broad incumbents

• CRISPR Therapeutics: Established gene-edited cell therapy company (CASGEVY) with expanding pipeline in oncology including allogeneic CAR-T. Comparable as a larger player in engineered cell therapies for cancer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lift-biosciences
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• Facebookfacebook.com/LIfTBioSciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LIfT BioSciences