About us
Shaping the future for people with rare diseases and addressing global health challenges.
We are a not-for-profit life science organisation leading the way for change in rare diseases and supporting promising initiatives in global health.
Through our scientific capabilities, translational expertise and partnerships, we ensure great science achieves its potential and reaches patients faster.
Our strategy
As a self-funded organisation, we focus on finding solutions to medical challenges that may be overlooked due to costs, complexities or their high-risk nature.
We fund, collaborate and provide scientific expertise to improve the lives of people with rare diseases and in global health. Our existing work spans motor neuron disease; and global health, with a focus on antimicrobial resistance; chronic respiratory infections; childhood cancer, and rare diseases.
We invest in projects where our translational and scientific expertise can remove the barriers preventing scientific discoveries from reaching the people who need them most.
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.
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 organisation, we can focus on finding solutions to medical challenges which may be overlooked due to their complexity, high-risk nature or costs.
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 from becoming 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 some other sources of income.
Working at LifeArc
We have offices in London and Edinburgh, as well as scientific research labs in Stevenage, and a specialist science team at the Francis Crick Institute.
Our people are experts in drug discovery, diagnostic development, and commercialising promising scientific innovations.
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Latest news
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LifeArc and Genetic Alliance UK launch a new report calling for the acceleration of research and development (R&D) for rare diseases
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Innovative home monitoring service aims to improve care for patients with dementia
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LifeArc joins new global initiative to accelerate drug discovery for ALS/MND treatments