{{Short description|British medical research charity}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = LifeArc | logo = LifeArc-logo.png | caption = | trading_name = <!-- d/b/a/, doing business as - if different from legal name above --> | native_name = <!-- Company's name in home country language --> | native_name_lang = <!-- Use ISO 639-2 code, e.g. "fr" for French. If there is more than one native name, in different languages, enter those names using {{tl|lang}}, instead. --> | romanized = | former type = | type = Charity Commission for England and Wales | traded_as = | industry = [[Medical research|Life science medical research]] charity | genre = <!-- Only used with media and publishing companies --> | fate = Renamed LifeArc in 2017 | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = 2000 | founder = | defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | location_city = [[London]] | location_country = [[UK]] | locations = [[London]], Stevenage, [[Edinburgh]] | area_served = | key_people = Dr Ian Gilham ([[Chairman]]<br />[[Sam Barrell|Dr Sam Barrell]] ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]])<ref>{{cite web |title=Dr Sam Barrell CBE appointed as CEO of LifeArc |url=https://www.lifearc.org/2024/dr-sam-barrell-cbe-appointed-as-ceo-of-lifearc/ |publisher=LifeArc}}</ref> | products = | production = | services = IP management, drug discovery, diagnostics development, antibody engineering, charity portfolio review | revenue = {{Unbulleted list|£1,204.7million (2019)}} | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = <!-- Only used with financial services companies --> | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = 180 | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = {{URL|lifearc.org}} | footnotes = | intl = | bodystyle = }}
'''LifeArc''' is a British [[Medical research|life science medical research]] charity.<ref>{{EW charity|1015243}}</ref> It was established in 2000 as MRC Technology to [[Translational research|translate]] the work of [[Medical Research Council (UK)|UK Medical Research Council]] (MRC) research scientists.<ref>Paul Feldman, Corinna Lotz, ''A world to win: a rough guide to a future without global capitalism'', 2004, Lupus Books, {{ISBN|0952345412}}, 9780952345411</ref>
Today, LifeArc provides [[intellectual property]] identification, protection and commercialisation, technology development, diagnostic development, early stage [[drug discovery]] and [[Humanized antibody|antibody humanization]] services for academic, biotechnological and pharmaceutical organisations. Profits from LifeArc's activities are reinvested into further research.
== History == The organisation was set up as a charity and a company limited by guarantee in 2000 to incorporate patenting, licensing and research functions.<ref name="MRCTrole">{{cite web |url=http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/other/0118404881/0118404881.pdf |title=A Review of UK Health Funding |publisher=The Stationery Office |author=Sir David Cooksey |date=2006-01-12 |page=20}}</ref>
LifeArc humanised a number of antibodies on behalf of other organisations. Four of these, [[Natalizumab|Tysabri (Biogen Idec/Elan)]], [[Tocilizumab|Actemra (Hoffmann-La Roche/Chugai)]], [[Vedolizumab|Entyvio (Millenium Pharma/Takeda)]] and [[Pembrolizumab|Keytruda (Merck/MSD)]], are licensed drugs.<ref name="MRCLMB">{{cite web |url=http://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/achievements/therapeutic-antibodies |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322202715/http://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/achievements/therapeutic-antibodies |url-status=dead |archive-date=2010-03-22 |title=Therapeutic Antibodies and the LMB |publisher=MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology |accessdate=2012-02-17 }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=February 2025}}
In 2010, LifeArc signed a deal with the drug company [[AstraZeneca]] to share chemical compounds to help identify potential treatments for serious diseases.<ref>Mark Wigglesworth, Terry Wood, eds, ''Management of Chemical and Biological Samples for Screening Applications'', 2012, John Wiley & Sons, {{ISBN|3527645276}}, 9783527645275, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Hd6HRB4AWf8C&pg=PA390&dq google books]</ref><ref name="MRCTAZ">{{cite web |url=http://www.astrazeneca.com/Media/Press-releases/Article/AstraZeneca-and-MRC-Technology-Form-Strategic-Alliance |title=AstraZeneca and MRC Technology Form Strategic Alliance in Discovery Research, Utilising Shared Compound Libraries |date=5 July 2010 |publisher=AstraZeneca |accessdate=2013-01-03}}</ref>
LifeArc is a member of a Global Drug Discovery Alliance along with the Centre for Drug Research and Development, [[Scripps Research Institute|the Scripps Research Institute]], Cancer Research Technology, the Lead Discovery Centre and the Centre for Drug Design and Discovery.<ref name="SciBX">{{cite journal |journal=SciBX: Science-Business EXchange |year=2013 |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=78 |title=Translational Globetrotting |author=Edelson, Steve |doi=10.1038/scibx.2013.78 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Through its earnings from licensing agreements, LifeArc provides funding for academic research and early-stage medical research.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stevenagecatalyst.com/news_and_events/news_archive1/news2017/lifearcset_to_transform_medical_research_landscape/|title=Stevenage BioScience Catalyst {{!}} LifeArc set to transform medical research landscape {{!}}|website=www.stevenagecatalyst.com|access-date=2019-03-30}}</ref>
In March 2019, LifeArc joined with [[Cancer Research UK]] and [[Ono Pharmaceutical|Ono Pharma]] to progress new immunotherapy drug targets for cancer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hospitalhealthcare.com/editors-pick/cancer-research-uk-lifearc-and-ono-pharma-form-cancer-therapy-alliance|title=Cancer Research UK, LifeArc and Ono Pharma form cancer therapy alliance|date=2019-03-28|website=Hospital Healthcare Europe|access-date=2019-03-30}}</ref>
In May 2019, LifeArc announced it had sold part of its royalty rights for Keytruda to a subsidiary of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) for US$1.297 billion, making it one of the biggest UK medical charities by size of investment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lifearc.org/lifearc-monetises-keytruda-royalty-interests-20052019/|title=LifeArc monetises Keytruda® royalty interests to fund further research and investment|date=2019-05-20|website=LifeArc|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-07-12}}</ref>
The charity claims that it has found a new approach for treating Alzheimer's disease in research carried out with the Universities of Leicester and Göttingen.<ref name="HolyGrailClaim">{{Cite news|date=2021-11-19|title=New Alzheimer's treatment hailed by researchers|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-59338044|access-date=2021-11-24}}</ref>
LifeArc is based in [[Tavistock Square]] in Bloomsbury. As of 2025, it intends to occupy a large Edwardian building at 105-121 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NE, close to the [[Francis Crick Institute]]. The building was originally occupied by the Salvation Army and was latterly the headquarters of the Royal National Institute for the Blind. The interior has been demolished and will be rebuilt as offices and laboratories.<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Borough of Camden planning application no. 2025/1684/P |url=https://camdocs.camden.gov.uk/CMWebDrawer/Record/10930148/file/document?inline |access-date=13 May 2025}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.lifearc.org/ LifeArc's website]
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[[Category:Technology transfer]] [[Category:Companies based in the London Borough of Camden]] [[Category:Medical research institutes in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Charities based in London]]