The Golden Ticket For GLP-1 Development
We speak to the 2025 winner of Novo Nordisk and Pioneer Group’s Golden Ticket program.
Stephanie Vine | | 6 min read | Interview
The Golden Ticket program targets early-stage biotechs that “want to change the world,” with a focus on cardiometabolic health and rare blood and rare endocrine disorders. The prize includes rent-free space, mentoring and support from both Novo Nordisk and the Pioneer Group, and access to Pioneer’s venture programs. Entry closed in November 2024, with shortlisted companies invited to a pitching event.
And the winner? Meet Melio Bio – a new company that was established to discover and develop novel inhibitors that target a receptor associated with obesity. We caught up with Zoë Johnson, Co-founder and Executive Chair of Melio Bio, to find out more about the company, its work, and how it will make the most of this golden opportunity to push obesity research forward.
Congratulations on winning the Golden Ticket! Can you give us an introduction to the science and R&D that Melio Bio is working on?
While GLP-1 receptor agonists have transformed obesity treatment, many patients remain underserved because of side effects, non-response, or limited efficacy. With strong human genetic evidence linking GPR75 loss-of-function variants to lower body weight and reduced obesity risk, we believe this represents a breakthrough opportunity for a new class of cardiometabolic drugs. In addition to treating obesity, we are also focusing on co-morbidities – particularly metabolic-dysfunction associated steatoic liver disease (MASLD), one of the most common forms of chronic liver disease.
What is the story behind the creation of the company?
I have spent over 25 years working in the pharma/biotech/start up space and have had the opportunity to work on several highly innovative programs in a range of therapeutic areas. This experience has taught me what it takes to build a company: great science, a great team and a large dose of passion and perseverance! At Molecule to Medicine, my role is focused on building new companies that deliver high quality drug R&D programs based on innovative science with strong genetic validation, working with our team of expert scientist-entrepreneurs and company scalers.
Melio Bio was developed internally at Molecule to Medicine, where my co-founder, David Miller, a medicinal chemist with deep expertise in GPCR drug discovery, highlighted a publication that detailed the target, GPR75, having a very strong association with obesity. We were looking for new opportunities for a next generation program in obesity and associated co-morbidities, and this target was an ideal fit with our expertise. Additionally, we have a long-standing relationship with Sygnature Discovery who agreed to work with us on the program to advance the screening to a point where we could raise external funds to support the ongoing development of the company.
What have been the biggest challenges in the early stages of the company?
From a scientific point of view, establishing the hit finding screen was challenging. We could not replicate some of the published literature around the putative endogenous ligands of GPR75 and so we had to devise an assay to screen our compound library in the absence of a known ligand. Fortunately, Sygnature Discovery helped us to make excellent progress in a short time.
From a corporate point of view, we are capital raising for an early-stage company in a challenging economic climate. We anticipate that the benefits of the Golden Ticket prize will give us a boost in our fundraising efforts and we look forward to accelerating our preclinical development plans in the coming months.
A lot of companies are now trying to enter the obesity therapeutic space. In a competitive area, what makes your research stand out?
It is true that the space is increasingly crowded, but a lot of the competition is still focused on the clinically validated incretin class, offering incremental improvements on the first generation GLP-1 agonists. We believe that real breakthroughs require new approaches, so we are focusing on next generation molecules that will address some of the limitations of current and emerging therapies. The GPR75 target has been identified relatively recently, and the field is wide open – the team that is able to deliver a high-quality program at pace will win, and we believe we have all the tools to succeed.
How did you and the team react when you first found out you had won the Golden Ticket program?
We found out just before Christmas, so it was like receiving the best gift early! In early-stage discovery there are a lot of ups and downs, so this was really welcome news!
What will you be receiving?
We receive a number of benefits; the two principle ones being space and advice. The early support and guidance we will receive from Novo Nordisk’s world-class pharma team represents a unique opportunity to refine and strengthen our approach. We are excited to leverage this collaboration to drive meaningful impact and bring new solutions to patients globally. Secondly, having space in a biotech focused hub in a central London location, along with the associated support from the Pioneer Group team, is a huge boost for us. Being surrounded by like-minded scientist entrepreneurs in the heart of London’s knowledge quarter is exactly the environment we want Melio Bio to be in to flourish and grow. We would have struggled to secure this space at our pre-fundraising stage, and we intend to remain in this location for many years to come.
A competitive pitch process was involved. What lessons did you learn during this? And what advice would you offer to other young companies when it comes to getting pitches right?
The experience was great because it gave us an opportunity to think about how to communicate the value of our early-stage company to large pharma as well as an investor in a concise way.
It takes a surprising amount of time and effort to condense knowledge and data into a compelling, 15 minute pitch without disclosing any confidential information. As with most presentations, you can never start too early, and you will never be 100 percent happy with the result! My advice for young companies perfecting their pitch is to be clear, concise, and compelling. Focus on articulating the problem you’re solving, why your approach is unique, and the impact it will have. Investors and partners are drawn to a strong narrative, solid data, and a clear path to execution – so make every word count and ensure your passion for the mission shines through!
What are the next steps for Melio Bio?
Following our move into new premises, our next step is to close a syndicated financing round to support the next stage of Melio Bio’s growth. Our plans are strategically aligned with insights from our peers at Novo Nordisk, ensuring a strong foundation for innovation. As part of this expansion, we are exploring beyond traditional chemistry, aiming to integrate AI-driven research to enhance and complement our existing work
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