LifeArc® and Asthma UK® announce collaboration
London, UK, Friday 26th October: LifeArc, a medical research charity, has signed an agreement to review Asthma UK’s research portfolio, aiming to identify promising projects and results which are most suited to development into treatments. LifeArc will also advise on strategies to deliver that development. LifeArc’s expertise in intellectual property (IP) protection, development and management will allow Asthma UK to translate its research funding into maximum benefit for patients.
Dr Erika Kennington, Head of Research at Asthma UK, said: “An estimated 5.4 million people in the UK live with asthma and despite the prevalence of the condition, there is still much that isn’t understood. Asthma can leave people gasping for breath and at risk of a potentially life-threatening asthma attack. Research enables a better understanding of the causes and treatment of asthma and is vital to help us find a cure.
“That is why we are delighted to work with Lifearc to ensure our funded research can inform the development of new treatments and transform the lives of people living with asthma. We hope that this will bring us one step closer to preventing asthma attacks and curing asthma.”
Dr Madhu Madhusudan, LifeArc’s Senior Business Manager, Charity Sector, welcomed the new collaboration saying: “As a charity itself, LifeArc strives to find treatments in areas where there is unmet patient need. We are pleased to support Asthma UK in their ultimate aim of curing asthma.”
Initially LifeArc will review Asthma UK’s existing portfolio of research projects and identify those with the highest potential to help people with asthma. In addition to this portfolio review, LifeArc will als ooffer Asthma UK expertise in technology transfer and licensing, helping to maximise the patient impact of the charity’s research investment.
Asthma UK plays a major role in funding world-leading research at the cutting-edge of science, understanding the biology of asthma, improving the diagnosis and care that people with asthma receive, working towards better treatments and, eventually, to a cure. In particular Asthma UK funds; early stage laboratory-based science at The Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma; applied research at The Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research; and a wide variety of individual research projects.
LifeArc is the new name for MRC Technology, a medical research charity with over 25 years-experience in helping scientists and organisations turn their research into effective diagnostics and treatments. LifeArc collaborates with a wide range of life science charities and other partners. In addition to portfolio review, IP protection, technology transfer and licensing LifeArc also offers its partners expertise in; early stage research funding, diagnostics development, drug discovery, scientific scouting, campaigning, drug discovery pipeline, in vitro diagnostics and antibody engineering.
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Press Contacts
Glenn Mursell, Communications, LifeArc
Rebecca Lewis, Media Officer, Asthma UK
Tel:+44 (0) 207 3912754
Tel: +44 (0) 207 786 5004
Mobile:+44 (0) 7799 261 060
Email:Glenn.Mursell@LifeArc.org
Email: rlewis@asthma.org.uk
Notes to editors
About Asthma UK
In the UK, 5.4 million people are currently receiving treatment for asthma: 1.1 million children (1 in 11) and 4.3 million adults (1 in 12).
Every day, the lives of three families are devastated by the death of a loved one to an asthma attack, and tragically two thirds of these deaths are preventable.
Asthma UK’s mission is to stop asthma attacks and cure asthma. We do this by funding world leading research, campaigning for improved care and supporting people to reduce their risk of a potentially life-threatening asthma attack.
The Asthma UK Helpline is open weekdays from 9am to 5p mon 0300 222 5800.
For more information about asthma please visit www.asthma.org.uk
About LifeArc
LifeArc is a medical research charity with a 25-year legacy of helping scientists and organisations turn their research into treatments and diagnostics for patients. LifeArc is turning great science into greater patient impact. The charity brings together a network of partners to tackle specific diseases and directly funds academic and early stage research. So far, LifeArc’s work has helped to develop four drugs (Keytruda®, Actemra®, Tysabri® and Entyvio®) and a test for resistance to carbapenems.
