LifeArc

LifeArc is a medical research charity focusing on transforming life science ideas into medical aids for patients. The organization specializes in early-stage translation—advancing lab-based scientific discoveries for development of diagnostics, treatments and cures. The charity is registered with the Charity Commission for England, Wales and Scotland. It was also incorporated in the three countries.

LifeArc's work has resulted in a diagnostic for antibiotic and anti microbial resistance and four licensed medicines:

• Keytruda®(cancer)
• Actemra® (rheumatoid arthritis)
• Tysabri® (multiple sclerosis)
• and Entyvio® (Crohn’s disease)

LifeArc began as MRC Technology, commercializing scientific research funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), before becoming a UK medical research charity. The company uses their investment portfolio to support their charitable activities. They partner and work with academics, industry, charities, and patient groups to support early stage science. LifeArc has offices in London and scientific research facilities in Stevenage and Edinburgh. They also have a specialist science team working at the Francis Crick Institute in London. Their laboratories in Stevenage are dedicated to drug discovery, while their scientists in Edinburgh are working to develop diagnostics. They find and invest in early stage discoveries, often in universities, charities, and start ups.

This is done by the provision of three types of support:

• Translational advice (business and industrial know-how)

• Translational science (our own lab-based research)
• Translational funding (investments and philanthropic grants)

The company's early venture funding acts as a source of investment for young start-ups, and generates a financial return for LifeArc. The Philanthropic Fund provides grants and funding to academic researchers working on novel treatments and diagnostics for rare diseases. Through a strategy they refer to as making life science life changing, they plan to spend up to £1.3 billion by 2030, to assist patient-focused life sciences.

Some of the company's work includes medicines developed from four of their humanized antibodies to help patients with conditions from cancer and Crohn’s disease to multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Another eight potential medicines are in clinical trials. LifeArc provides technology transfer services to the Medical Research Council (MRC), which is part of United Kingdom Research and Innovation. As part of the UK BioIndustry Association’s Therapeutics Antibody Taskforce, the company helped screen about 600 antibodies to create a Covid-19 "antibody cocktail." LifeArc invested about £18 million with the MRC and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to create a network of Gene Therapy Hubs.