How OMass Therapeutics is tackling congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a rare genetic disorder

Ros Deegan is an industry leader and the CEO of OMass Therapeutics, an Oxford-based biotechnology company discovering medicines against highly-validated target ecosystems, such as membrane proteins or intracellular complexes.  OMass’s MC2 program targeting Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, or CAH, is set to enter the clinic this year and in our interview today she walks me through how the company is preparing for their trials, how their approach differs to existing treatment options, and the impact on patient lives they hope to have. A leader in the UK biopharma industry, she also explains the strengths of the UK industry and how it can maintain an edge in the face of competition from Europe and the US.01:07   Meet Ros Deegan02:36   Cambridge and INSEAD04:24   Building industry experience05:16   Biotech in the US vs Biotech in the UK06:19   OMass: mission and ambition07:16   Funding the mission08:18   The importance of partnerships09:17   Industry and government10:37   OMass and CAH13:11   The differentiator for patient outcomes14:49   Into the clinic in 202516:31   CAH patients and patient groups19:29   The importance of hiring the right people20:55   The Oxford ‘brand’ in biotechnology22:17   Preparing for the clinic23:43   Regulation and manufacturing26:17   Partnering with top pharma27:35   The importance of building value28:41   How the UK can compete on a global scale30:39   What’s next for OMass32:59   The future of targeting rare diseaseInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletterTo dive deeper into the topic: 10 biotech companies making a difference in rare diseasesRare Disease Day: seven drugs awaiting approval in 2025