MRC and UCB collaborate to offer access to UCB’s novel antibody discovery platform
Posted: 30 March 2015 | Victoria White
The MRC and UCB are to launch a collaboration that will provide scientists with access to cutting-edge technologies to discover new monoclonal antibodies…
The Medical Research Council (MRC) and global pharmaceutical company UCB are to launch a collaboration that will provide UK scientists with access to cutting-edge technologies to discover new monoclonal antibodies.
These antibodies will enable scientists to research the mechanisms of human disease, identify novel therapeutic opportunities, and may provide the initial starting points for new treatments.
Under the joint initiative, MRC funded academic scientists will work in collaboration with UCB scientists to access and apply the company’s novel high-throughput antibody screening capabilities in support of research directed to biological targets which are implicated in human diseases. Using UCB’s innovative technology platform, MRC funded scientists will be able to efficiently sample the immune repertoire, potentially assessing over a billion antibody-producing B-cells, to find those rare cells generating antibody with the exact functional properties required to inhibit the relevant disease process.
Reduce preclinical failures with smarter off-target profiling
24 September 2025 | 15:00PM BST | FREE Webinar
Join this webinar to hear from Dr Emilie Desfosses as she shares insights into how in vitro and in silico methods can support more informed, human-relevant safety decisions -especially as ethical and regulatory changes continue to reshape preclinical research.
What you’ll learn:
- Approaches for prioritizing follow-up studies and refining risk mitigation strategies
- How to interpret hit profiles from binding and functional assays
- Strategies for identifying organ systems at risk based on target activity modulation
- How to use visualization tools to assess safety margins and compare compound profiles
Register Now – It’s Free!
The UCB Technology Platform Access programme offers researchers access state-of-the-art technology to deliver innovative new medicines
Dr Chris Watkins, Director of Translational Research and Industry at the MRC, said: “This exciting new partnership with UCB will bring together some of the best UK scientists with UK-based industry to drive forward the quest to discover new treatments. Through access to cutting edge technologies such as these, the UK research community can build on its strengths to accelerate research that will bring benefit to patients.”
Discussing the collaboration Ismail Kola, Executive Vice President of UCB and President of New Medicines, said: “The UCB Technology Platform Access programme offers the chance for researchers to access our state-of-the-art technology and scientific networks to deliver innovative new medicines. This joint initiative with the MRC is a world-leading collaborative interface between academia and industry to enhance the pace of new drug discovery and improve patient outcomes.”
It’s anticipated that this joint initiative will initially run for a period of three years, with up to five projects per year being selected for support by UCB and the MRC.
For more information about the MRC, please visit www.mrc.ac.uk.
Related topics
Antibody Discovery, Drug Discovery
Related organisations
Medical Research Council, UCB Pharma
