Ros Deegan stands on the brink of a major breakthrough. Clinical trials are set to begin on new medicines developed by her venture, OMass Therapeutics, that target an adrenal disorder, among other things.
If the medicines work they will immeasurably improve the lives of sufferers — and set OMass, an Oxford university spin-out, on course for a major windfall.
However, not all the profits will stay here, as some of her recent investors have come from the US.
Deegan, 51, would like pension funds to contribute to the next round of funding for OMass, but knows they tend to invest their capital in lower-risk assets, such as government bonds and acknowledged: “There is a significant probability that, given the scale of investment I will need,