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We progress discoveries that can intervene earlier, reduce treatment burden and improve the quality of life for those living with cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis.

People living with these conditions are caught in a vicious cycle of infection, inflammation and permanent lung damage – and running low on treatment options due to antibiotic resistance or a lack of effective therapies.

While chronic lung infection is common in people living with these conditions, acute flare ups cause deterioration of lung health, resulting in frequent hospitalisations for emergency treatment.

Better ways are needed to treat and manage these conditions through improved therapeutics and diagnostics.

Funding call open: find out more info

~200,000

adults in the UK have bronchiectasis

Over 11,000

people in the UK are living with cystic fibrosis

What do we want to achieve?

We’re focused on early detection, right diagnosis and better treatments, by enabling:

tools to predict exacerbations much earlier, and help people living with these conditions receive the right treatment sooner
new diagnostics to improve clinical decision making
access to new treatments, including repurposed drugs, that tackle infection, inflammation and reduce side effects and the burden of treatment
people living with these conditions to live longer, with less severe chronic and recurrent infections, reduced exacerbations and a better quality of life

How you can work with us

We collaborate with academics, charities, healthcare professionals and industry on projects to find:

New digital tools and data approaches to predict exacerbations earlier

New diagnostics tools and approaches to improve clinical decision making

New therapies, including repurposed drugs

Commercial, legal and regulatory process to protect your intellectual property

Partner with us

View open funding calls

Partnerships and initiatives

A national network of research hubs to transform cystic fibrosis care

LifeArc and Cystic Fibrosis Trust have launched the UK’s first Translational Innovation Hub Network to accelerate the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics for lung infections.

Bronchiectasis Industry Awareness Campaign

We are collaborating with industry experts and Asthma + Lung UK to raise awareness and support the advancement of new innovations and research into bronchiectasis.

A team of Bronchiectasis research professionals conversing around a table.

Drug repurposing call to treat chronic respiratory infection

LifeArc Chronic Respiratory Infection Translational Challenge is committing £3 million to support drug repurposing projects that seek to conduct translational studies.

Female LifeArc Scientist pipettes liquid into a vial under a fume hood.

£3 million to accelerate development of new cystic fibrosis therapies

LifeArc, as part of the CF AMR Syndicate, is providing £3 million in collaborative funding to drug discovery innovators to accelerate the development of new treatments for people with cystic fibrosis.