LifeArc

Supports life science translation in the United Kingdom through grants and partnerships focused on rare disease clinical trials.

LifeArc is a UK medical research charity built to move discoveries toward patients in rare disease and global health. Founded in 2000 as MRC Technology and independent since its 2019 rebrand, it is funded through an investment endowment rather than fundraising, and the record places that endowment at £1.255 billion in December 2024.

Its grantmaking is organized around five Translational Challenges: Motor Neuron Disease, Chronic and Rare Respiratory Disease, Global Health, Rare Disease, and Childhood Cancer. The record also points to smaller calls in antimicrobial resistance, neglected tropical diseases, and emerging viral threats, with the Rare Disease Clinical Trials Programme capped at £5 million and the Philanthropic Fund reaching about £811,582.

LifeArc backs translational work that can remove a bottleneck between discovery and patient use. Strong applicants usually show a defined disease focus, a credible development plan, and a route to impact that fits one of the challenge areas and patient need.