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A new spinout company, formed from research conducted at the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, aims to develop a new class of therapies for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Woman reaching out to touch a holographic 3D rendering of an intestine.

Many patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) struggle to stay in remission. Even when drugs calm inflammation, the disease often returns and causes long-term complications.

Thelior Bio, a company founded by Prof Alison Simmons and Dr Hannah Chen and supported by Oxford University Innovation (OUI), wants to change that.

By focusing on healing the gut lining itself, not just suppressing inflammation, Thelior is developing a new class of therapies that could offer patients longer-lasting relief and fewer relapses.

Thelior Bio, which launched in March 2025, is currently in the discovery and preclinical validation stage. Backed by seed funding from Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), Thelior is focused on developing highly targeted therapeutics for patients with IBD, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Alison Simmons, a leading gastroenterologist and Director of the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, is one of the founders. Prof Simmons said:

There's a big unmet need here. Most drugs today focus on calming the immune system. But that's only part of the picture. To keep people in remission and prevent long-term damage, we also need to repair the gut lining itself. 

Read more on OUI's website here: innovation.ox.ac.uk/news/thelior-bio-rethinking-gut-health-from-the-inside-out/