Tackling heart disease at its roots: Why Zinc invested in SignaCor

Cardiovascular disease remains the world’s leading cause of death. Yet compared with areas like oncology, innovation in heart disease has historically lagged behind, despite the enormous human and economic burden.

We’re beginning to see this change as a new wave of science is unlocking treatments that go beyond managing symptoms to address the biological causes of disease.

An exciting new venture leading that shift is SignaCor, a Queen’s University Belfast spin-out developing a first-in-class therapy for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Zinc is proud to support the company by leading  its  £1M seed round, following SignaCor’s selection as the winner of the Zinc and Discovery Spark Cardiovascular Innovation Programme. 

A new approach to treating heart disease

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common inherited heart condition. It causes the heart muscle to thicken, making it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively and increasing the risk of arrhythmia, heart failure and sudden cardiac death. The condition affects around 1 in 500 people, yet treatment options remain limited. 

Most existing therapies focus on managing symptoms or reducing strain on the heart. SignaCor is pursuing a fundamentally different approach. The company is developing Cardiaza, a therapy designed to target the underlying biological mechanisms that drive the disease, including fibrosis, inflammation and abnormal thickening of the heart muscle.

By acting on these core disease pathways, the aim is not simply to manage symptoms, but to slow and even reverse the progression of heart damage.

As CEO Darach Neeson explains, the ambition is to move beyond incremental improvements in care: “There are very limited treatment options for these patients today. Our goal is to treat the underlying causes of disease rather than just manage the symptoms.”

Accelerating from discovery to clinical testing

SignaCor’s innovation was born from a decade of academic research. Founder and CSO Dr Chris Watson spent years studying the role of epigenetics – the mechanisms that control how genes are switched on and off – in heart disease. Originally trained in cancer biology, he made a breakthrough discovery while working across oncology and cardiology research: a drug class already used in cancer treatment appeared to have unexpected cardioprotective effects. 

That observation opened up the possibility of positioning certain existing drugs to treat heart disease by targeting the epigenetic mechanisms driving cardiac damage. “Being able to translate something from the lab into a therapy that actually helps patients is incredibly rare,” Chris says. “That’s what motivates me.”

After years of research, validation studies and collaborations across leading cardiology centres, the concept matured into a clinical-ready programme – a fairly unique position for a university spin-out. SignaCor is now preparing for the commencement of the Phase 2a clinical trial, which will test Cardiaza in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and generate early data on safety, dosing and initial signs of efficacy. 

The team behind the venture

SignaCor is led by an exceptional founding team that brings together deep domain expertise and venture-building experience:

Chris Watson, CSO, leads the scientific development of the programme, drawing on more than 20 years of research in cardiovascular biology.

Darach Neeson, CEO, brings the commercial and operational experience needed to translate academic science into a venture-backed company. A former commercial lawyer and spin-out manager at Queen’s University Belfast, he has helped launch – and held C-suite positions in – multiple life sciences companies including most recently as COO of a venture-backed oncology therapeutics company.

For Darach, the mission is also personal: “My dad died of a heart attack when he was 49,” he says. “So the idea of developing treatments that could help people in the cardiovascular space is something that really drives me.”

Together, the founders combine scientific credibility with a clear understanding of how to build, finance and commercialise a biotechnology company.

An enormous Science-for-Impact opportunity

The opportunity for SignaCor extends well beyond a single disease. Once Cardiaza is validated in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the company has further innovations that can be applied to other forms of heart disease as well. Future pipeline applications include treating other forms of cardiomyopathy and addressing other conditions driven by cardiac fibrosis and inflammation.

The team’s big vision is to build the foundations of an entirely new class of cardiovascular medicines.

The commercial opportunity is compelling. Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly re-engaging with the cardiovascular space, and there is strong appetite for new therapies that go beyond symptom management. SignaCor’s strategy is to generate strong clinical data and partner with a global pharmaceutical company to bring the therapy to market.

The journey to success

SignaCor has already made significant progress on their journey to success, the venture has:

• spun out from Queen’s University Belfast with exclusive IP rights
• secured regulatory approvals to begin clinical testing
• attracted non-dilutive funding from major research bodies
• assembled an advisory network of leading cardiologists
• built relationships with pharmaceutical partners

Most recently, SignaCor was named the winner of the Zinc x Discovery Spark cardiovascular innovation programme, a competitive accelerator designed to support promising early-stage health ventures. 

The programme culminated in a pitch event at Zinc HQ, where SignaCor stood out for the strength of its science, experienced founding team and clear clinical need. 

Looking ahead

Over the next 18 months, SignaCor is focussed on execution of the Phase 2a clinical trial and preparing for the next stage of development. Their roadmap includes:

• generating early clinical data in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• advancing development of a next generation alternative formulation of Cardiaza
• pursuing orphan drug designation with regulators
• raising a Series A round to fund a larger Phase 2b efficacy trial for Cardiaza

That trial will represent a major value inflection point for the company, and a critical step towards bringing the therapy to patients. Looking further ahead, the team sees a future where treatments based on this mechanism could become a standard part of cardiovascular care.

Why Zinc is excited to partner with SignaCor

At Zinc, we back founders harnessing science and deep technology to tackle the world’s most urgent health and environmental challenges. Cardiovascular disease remains one of the largest global killers, responsible for one in four deaths in the UK.

Yet innovation in this space has lagged behind its impact. SignaCor exemplifies the kind of Science-for-Impact opportunity we back: world-class science, a credible path to patient benefit, a standout founding team, and the potential to deliver both real health impact and significant commercial value.

We’re excited to support Chris, Darach and the SignaCor team as they take the next steps on their journey – and to see the impact their work will have for patients living with heart disease around the world.