About us
We take cutting-edge innovations from lab bench to bedside, translating them into effective treatments and diagnostics for cancer patients.
Our drug discovery science
We work with researchers and industry to identify and advance novel approaches with the potential to deliver the next generation of cancer medicines.
Biopharma partnerships
including AstraZeneca, Astex, Merck KGaA and Ono Pharmaceutical
Academic partnerships
with EDDC, Karolinska Institutet and Oncode Institute
Start-up creation
including Artios, iOnctura and OligoTune
Candidate development
with 10 into regulatory development and six into clinical trials to date
Therapeutic Innovation
Therapeutic Innovation is Cancer Research UK's internal drug discovery engine, guided by a highly experienced international drug discovery board and leadership team, and is focused on building an innovative, high-impact and competitively resourced portfolio. We draw on the best academic research and partner commercially where this enables us to accelerate our projects and benefit cancer patients faster.
We are a 200-strong group of passionate and creative scientists. We have the expertise and capabilities to translate early concepts to patient benefit, encompassing deep cancer biology knowledge and extensive drug discovery experience.
Our therapeutic portfolio
Target identification, validation and disease positioning
We aim to align targets, identified in collaboration with our academic network, with a clearly defined clinical position as early as possible.
We place great value on close interactions with expert academic biologists and our deep combined cancer biology expertise supports each project from inception through to the clinic.
Our experimental capabilities include:
- Whole genome CRISPR screening to identify novel targets, and to better understand mechanisms of action, resistance and synthetic lethality
- A strong human immunology platform
- Cellular models including patient-derived tissue explants
Hit discovery
New drug discovery projects are enabled through deep characterisation at the molecular and cellular level, applying mechanistic enzymology, biophysics, structural biology and quantitative cell biology.
We build a comprehensive understanding of the most appropriate mechanism to target, and select from a range of hit finding technologies for both small molecule and antibody modalities. Detailed mechanism-of-action and structural studies direct our selection of hits for progression.
Hit-to-candidate
Small molecule and antibody leads are optimised to candidates for regulatory development through cycles of DMTA (design, make, test, analyse).
Our cross-disciplinary teams identify potential new therapeutics at pace by drawing from expertise in computational chemistry, structural biology, medicinal and synthetic chemistry, antibody engineering, drug-target kinetics, DMPK, cancer biology and cancer models.
Cancer Research UK's Centre for Drug Development
Partnered capabilities
Fast-track breakthroughs into clinical trials
We work closely with the Centre for Drug Development to progress projects from drug discovery through to clinical trials and an assessment of the real therapeutic potential of novel agents.
Our drug discovery sites
We have six drug discovery sites across the UK located in Glasgow, Newcastle, Cambridge (three sites) and London.
Our locations ensure we are embedded with our two key stakeholder groups:
- World-leading academic researchers at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute, Newcastle University and the Francis Crick Institute
- Biopharma hotspots at our Cambridge sites, the Babraham Research Campus, Granta Park and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Looking to collaborate with us in drug discovery?
We're looking for the right partnerships to accelerate the discovery of the next generation of cancer medicines.