About us

Our strategy

We fund, collaborate and provide scientific expertise across some of the most under-served conditions: motor neuron disease, chronic respiratory infection, global health, rare disease, and childhood cancer.

We look to invest in projects where we can use our experience in translational science to remove barriers for early scientific discoveries.

Our history

We were established in 2000 as a part of the Medical Research Council (MRC) known as ‘MRC Technology’. We helped commercialise scientific research funded by the MRC, something we still do today.

In 2019, we sold some of our rights to the cancer drug, Keytruda® (pembrolizumab). This started a new chapter for us, and with that came a new name.

What we stand for

We’re driven by the unmet needs of patients and their families, from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and lifestyle support.

As a self-funded charity, we can focus on finding solutions to medical challenges which other organisations may overlook due to their complexity, high risk nature or commercial uncertainty.

Our leadership

Our Board of Trustees guides and oversees our activities. They regularly assess our progress towards achieving our mission: developing and supporting an ecosystem that removes barriers that prevent discoveries becoming rapidly available to patients.  

How are we funded?

Unlike many charities, we don’t publicly fundraise. Instead, we are self-funded primarily through investments and early ventures, alongside a few smaller sources of income.