LifeArc pairs with Euro partner to improve respiratory disease outcomes
Life science charity LifeArc has embarked on a three year partnership with the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration (EMBARC) to tackle the respiratory disease bronchiectasis.
Responsible for an estimated 1,500 UK deaths and affecting around 0.3 million people in Britain, it is the country’s third largest chronic respiratory condition after asthma and COPD. It involves the build-up of excess mucus in the lungs and increases infection and inflammation risk and is life-limiting. Causes include but are not limited to cystic fibrosis.
As yet, there is no licensed treatment for bronchiectasis and the new initiative will result in LifeArc collaborating with a number of EMBARC member organisations to improve understanding of the condition aimed at delivering effective diagnostics and treatments.
Dr Catherine Kettleborough heads LifeArc’s Chronic Respiratory Infection Translational Challenge, which aims to invest up to £100 million by 2030 to develop scientific innovation for dealing with bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis.
“Our goal is to enable people to live longer with improved quality of life by ending the vicious cycle of infection, inflammation and permanent lung damage,” said Kettleborough.
“We can’t achieve this ambitious goal alone. We want to engage all parts of the life science ecosystem in this effort. Our new partnership with EMBARC reflects our commitment to work with others to deliver breakthroughs for patients faster.”
Life Arc began as MRC Technology – set up to commercialise research that was funded by the Medical Research Council. Now self-funding via an investment portfolio, it is based in London but with research facilities in key life science hubs Stevenage and Edinburgh, together with a team based at the Francis Crick Institute. Its Edinburgh site specialises in diagnostics, while Stevenage focuses on drug discovery.
Overall, the charity is committed to investing £130 billion on patient centred life science projects by the year 2030.
EMBARC was established in 2012 as an international collaboration to improving care knowledge of bronchiectasis. It boasts the world’s largest bronchiectasis registry and biorepository with data and samples provided by more than 20,000 people across 40 countries.
Chair of EMBARC Professor James Chalmers commented: “I’m delighted LifeArc is joining us in our next phase of collaborative research to deliver new diagnostics and therapies for patients.”
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