Britain’s largest health research programme, Our Future Health, forms new £10m partnership with LifeArc   

LifeArc has become a funding charity partner of Britain’s largest health research programme, Our Future Health through making a £10m funding commitment. The partnership will help turn promising dementia research into new tests and treatments for patients.

Our Future Health’s funding charities collaboratively share knowledge, expertise, and resources, to accelerate health improvements for the entire UK population. We specialise in translational research by helping scientists to overcome barriers they often face in translating early research into real world solutions for patients. We will, therefore, support the Our Future Health community in overcoming research challenges. We will also use data from the research programme to support our own Translational Challenge research projects, including neurodegeneration.  

We are currently working with partners and academics to better predict and treat dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease. We hope that Our Future Health will provide valuable data that can be used to identify new biomarkers for disease, as well as developing new tests and treatments. In the future, we also expect to work with Our Future Health to advanceresearch in motor neuron disease, respiratory health and rare diseases. These areas are among our ‘Translational Challenges’. Each Translational Challenge targets a specific area or disease where there are significant unmet patient needs. Through investment and support, we work with scientists and partner organisations to turn discoveries into real outcomes for patients. 

Our Future Health has already recruited over one million people to the programme and is making rapid progress towards its final goal of recruiting up to 5 million people. A significant number of industry partners have joined the collaboration, as well as other leading UK medical research charities.  

Dr Raghib Ali, Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer of Our Future Health, says: “We’re delighted that Life Arc has signed as a funding charity partner. Their expertise in translational science will help us to better support research into some of the most under-served conditions.”  

The news has also been welcomed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which is raising additional resources of around £160m for the programme from life science companies and charities. Commenting on LifeArc’s announcement, Dr Stella Peace, Executive Director for Healthy Living and Agriculture Domain at Innovate UK, said: “Innovate UK are delighted to welcome LifeArc as a funding charity partner at Our Future Health. With their extensive expertise spanning translational science, advisory services, and funding, they bring valuable capabilities to the table. Together, we look forward to leveraging their wealth of experience and resources in our mission to advance innovations that make life better.” 

Further information about Our Future Health and its partnerships is  available here.