CR UK pairs with Abcam

Cancer Research UK (CR UK) has paired with Abcam to develop and commercialise novel custom antibodies to support the acceleration of cancer research.

Under the terms of the deal, Abcam will develop custom protein-based reagents to targets identified by CR UK-funded researchers, to help support advance understanding of cancer biology, generate new diagnostic tools, and possibly provide the basis for novel therapies.

Commenting on the collaboration, Tony Hickson, CR UK's chief business officer, said the charity is excited to be working with Abcam to expand its access to biological reagents and to create new tools to accelerate understanding of cancer.

“Abcam’s antibody development capabilities and 'end-to-end' expertise will help provide our researchers with antibody reagents that can be applied from early-stage R&D right through to the clinic,” he noted.

Financial terms of the deal were not revealed, but the firms said Abcam would supply unique antibodies developed within the terms of the agreement to CR UK-funded researchers for an agreed period of exclusivity in relation to that antibody.

Once the exclusivity period has ended, Abcam’s global supply capability and co-location in major technology hubs throughout the world will allow the reagents “to be made readily accessible to the wider research and diagnostic development community”.