# LifeArc

LifeArc is an Asset Manager based in London, United Kingdom.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** London, United Kingdom
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** London, United Kingdom
- **Founded:** 2000
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.lifearc.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/lifearc

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

LifeArc is a self-funded medical research organisation with the purpose of transforming the lives of people living with rare diseases and drug-resistant infections. It conducts and funds pioneering research and works with partners to accelerate the translation of scientific breakthroughs into new tests and treatments. It focuses on challenges that may be overlooked due to costs, complexities or high risk, and brings scientific expertise, advice and funding to areas including motor neuron disease, rare dementias, chronic and rare respiratory disease, childhood cancer and global health.

## Sectors

- Digital Health
- Healthcare Services
- AI/ML

## People

- Stéphane Maikovsky — Chief Executive Officer

## Questions

### How is LifeArc funded, and does it raise external capital?

LifeArc is self-funded through royalty streams generated by its legacy patent portfolio, most notably the antibody humanization technology used in Keytruda. It does not solicit external limited partners or manage commingled funds. Its commercial returns are recycled into new translational research grants and equity investments.

### What is LifeArc's relationship to the UK Medical Research Council?

LifeArc originated as MRC Technology, a private company established by the UK Medical Research Council in 2000 to commercialize publicly funded discoveries. It changed its name to LifeArc in 2017 and operates today as an independent medical research charity with no ongoing governance link to the MRC.

### What stage of life sciences R&D does LifeArc typically fund?

LifeArc focuses on the translational gap between academic bench research and investable clinical assets. It funds projects through lead optimization, preclinical validation, and early clinical readiness, a stage often viewed as too early for institutional venture capital and too applied for public research grants.

### Which therapeutic areas does LifeArc prioritize?

LifeArc has publicly committed funding to neurodegeneration, rare respiratory diseases, infectious disease diagnostics, and global health. It launched dedicated programs for motor neuron disease and bronchiectasis in recent years, and also maintains a broader pipeline in oncology and inflammatory disease through its legacy royalty interests.

## Related profiles

- [Lieying Investment](https://altss.com/profile/lieying-investment)
- [Life Asset Management](https://altss.com/profile/life-asset-management)

---

Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:07:19.634Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/lifearc

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology