Translational Challenge
Chronic & Rare Respiratory Disease
Our vision is to transform lung health for people living with chronic and rare respiratory diseases.
We advance discoveries that improve the diagnosis and treatment of chronic and rare respiratory diseases.
People living with these conditions are often misdiagnosed, delaying appropriate treatment and allowing disease to progress. Many get caught in a vicious cycle of infection, inflammation and permanent lung damage, with limited treatment options due to antibiotic resistance and a lack of effective therapies.
By driving innovation, stronger collaboration and translation, we aim to transform how chronic and rare respiratory diseases are detected, treated and managed to help people living with these conditions live longer, healthier lives.
Our approach
We are focused on 3 strategic priorities
Better diagnostics
We are supporting:
- simple, user-friendly tests
- use of health data and AI
- genetic testing
- molecular tests to monitor lung infection
New treatments
We help develop:
- anti-inflammatory treatments
- better, less toxic antimicrobial treatments
- novel gene therapies
- better clinical trial design
Ecosystem building
We build ecosystems to:
- form networks and collaborations
- give healthcare professionals and researchers access to tools, evidence and infrastructure to advance their discoveries
- include people with lived experience to identify unmet needs and shape priorities
How you can work with us
We collaborate with academics, charities, healthcare professionals and industry to develop:
- new digital tools and data approaches to predict exacerbations earlier
- new diagnostics tools and approaches to improve clinical decision-making
- new therapies, including repurposed drugs
- commercial, legal and regulatory processes to protect your intellectual property
If you are interested in partnering with us, get in touch using the form below.
Partnerships and initiatives
A national network of research hubs to transform cystic fibrosis care
We have partnered with Cystic Fibrosis Trust to invest £15 million over 5 years to establish a collaborative network of 4 hubs. Together, they are accelerating the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics for lung infections.
Project Breathe: Home monitoring trials for people with chronic respiratory conditions
Co-funding UK-wide trials to explore whether AI and at-home monitoring technology can help people living with chronic respiratory conditions manage their health.
A patient-focused blueprint to develop diagnostic tests for chronic lung conditions
We have developed a Simple Lung Test TPP to guide the development of tests to diagnose or triage patients suspected of chronic lung conditions.
CF AMR Syndicate: Boosting the translation of cystic fibrosis diagnostics and therapeutics
The syndicate supports a diverse pipeline of preclinical projects focused on new diagnostics and antimicrobials by providing diligence work, scientific expertise, and funding.
View our respiratory resources
Who to contact
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Heather McKinnon
Read bio: Heather McKinnon
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Stuart Elborn
Read bio: Stuart Elborn
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Chris Claxton
Read bio: Chris Claxton
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Laura Stennett
Read bio: Laura Stennett
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