Our governance
Our drug discovery strategy is overseen by the Therapeutic Innovation Board, comprising world-leading experts in the fields of oncology and drug discovery, who are committed to improving outcomes for patients.
Therapeutic collaboration
We are a 180-strong group of passionate and creative scientists working across multiple sites within leading UK academic and biotech centres.
We exist to unlock the full potential of world-class academic cancer research, closing the gap between compelling target hypothesis and clinical candidates through co-discovery, co-development and co-impact.
Cancer research has the greatest impact when academic insight and translational expertise come together early. That's why we work as a true scientific partner throughout the journey from the first biological observation to clinical development.
If you’re an academic or clinical researcher with a novel target, an underexplored disease mechanism or a promising biological insight, get in touch to explore how we can work together to realise its potential.
Access genuine scientific partnership with industry-grade capabilities
Our drug discovery team unites world-class experts and cutting-edge technology to accelerate the discovery of novel cancer treatments. Our laboratories span sites in Glasgow, Newcastle, and Cambridge, bringing together the breadth of drug discovery expertise needed to progress a novel finding from early biology to clinical candidate.
Target identification and validation
Examination of target dependency and a clinical positioning hypothesis
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Hit discovery
Hit identification, validation in orthogonal assays, and mechanism of action studies
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Hit to clinical candidate
Optimisation of small molecule or antibody leads to generate candidates for clinical development
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We're building a high-impact competitively resourced portfolio combining world-class academic science with a clear focus on delivering benefit to cancer patients. When you work with us, you'll gain access to the same integrated network of expertise, technologies and facilities that enables us to progress promising discoveries towards the clinic.
How it works: research collaborations
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01
Connect
Email the Therapeutic Translation team — a conversation is all it takes.
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Assess
We critically review your target and co-develop a de-risking strategy.
03
Plan
We map the best pathway whether that’s through our portfolio, our Therapeutic Catalyst awards or Therapeutic Discovery Partnerships.
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Progress
We offer in-kind investment, resource and funding from hit identification through lead optimisation to first-in-human trials. We work with researchers and institutions to advance projects via collaboration, licensing and start-up formation.
Therapeutic Catalyst grants
We offer several funding routes to support translational projects.
Our Therapeutic Catalyst consists of two competitive application-based awards, each with a fixed budget and defined deliverable. Our Target Award is up to £250k for cancer target identification or validation (including CRISPR screening). Our Early Therapy Award is up to £350k for hit identification-enabling work, druggability assessment or advancing an existing early therapy.
Learn more about the Therapeutic Catalyst
We also offer the Childhood Cancer Therapeutic Catalyst, supporting early drug discovery proposals in novel therapeutics for children and young people with cancer. This scheme accepts proposals across all childhood cancer indications and modalities.
Therapeutic Discovery Partnerships
In addition to grant funding, we also offer multi-year collaborations on therapeutic discovery projects.
We co-develop a therapeutic approach or explore a series of targets alongside you, contributing funding and providing access to our in-house drug discovery expertise and resources.
A PhD screen became a first-in-human trial
In 2010, Geoff Higgins — a Cancer Research UK Clinical Research Fellow at Oxford — approached us with a single biological observation from his PhD: that gene silencing of POLθ selectively sensitised tumour cells to radiotherapy. We took it seriously.
Within two years we had lead compounds. By 2016, Artios Pharma was spun out. In 2021, the first cancer patient received the drug and it was FDA fast track designated in 2026. That journey started with one conversation.
Who you'll be working with
When you first contact us, you'll speak to our Therapeutic Translation team who are dedicated to discussing drug discovery ideas with researchers. They have years of expertise from working in academia and industry with experience in examining therapeutic hypotheses and working through strategies to de-risk novel approaches.
The team can also provide further advice on available funding and collaborative models we offer. If your opportunity isn’t right for our current drug discovery opportunities, the team can also help you navigate other possible support that may be available through Cancer Research Horizons.
Frequently asked questions
We engage from target identification onwards. If you have a validated biological hypothesis and an open question, that’s enough to start a conversation. And if you already have a lead compound or prior drug discovery experience, that’s a real advantage.
We work within Cancer Research Horizon's established framework for IP and commercialisation. It’s designed to protect academic interests while enabling translation. We’ll connect you to the right colleagues who can help you understand your options and what can happen at each stage.
Yes, we actively encourage this. Our most successful partnerships involve continued academic collaboration, co-authorship, and shared discovery.
Open scientific discussion. We want to understand your data, its strengths and the gaps. The more we understand your science, the better placed we are to help.
Our Therapeutic Catalyst is a grant. You apply for a fixed amount of funding (up to £250k or £350k depending on scope) to deliver a defined piece of work within a set timeframe. The scheme meets Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) principles of peer review for grant funding with an independent expert panel.
Our Therapeutic Discovery Partnerships are more than just funding. These are direct, multi-year collaborations with us, where we co-develop your therapeutic approach through funding and use of in-house resources and expertise as milestones are met.
Bring us your best biology. We’ll bring everything else.
We can help determine the right path for your research — whatever stage it’s at.