healthmedicinet

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson launched MedCity, a major new medical research and translation initiative, at Imperial College London today [Tuesday 8 April].

MedCity brings together the leading centres of medical research in London, Cambridge and Oxford as they work to translate their research into new healthcare applications for the benefit of patients and the economy. 

The new body, which is modelled on the successful Tech City Investment Organisation, will position the London-Oxford-Cambridge life sciences sector as a world-leading cluster that will match financial services in its importance to the UK economy.

MedCity has been established by the Mayor of London and Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, King’s Health Partners and UCLPartners with cooperation from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford. The organisation’s advisory board includes leading life sciences figures such as Imperial’s Vice President (Health) Professor Dermot Kelleher, Sir Paul Nurse, Director of the Crick Institute, alongside successful entrepreneurs including Dr Hermann Hauser as well as leading political, medical and charitable representatives.

MedCity is funded by £2.92 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England and £1.2 million from the Mayor of London’s Office.

At the launch event held at Imperial’s Hammersmith Campus – adjacent to the College’s new research and innovation campus, Imperial West – Imperial College London joined forces with King’s, UCL, Cambridge University and Oxford University, as well as charitable and commercial partners, to showcase cutting-edge healthcare applications.

A panel including Professor Jonathan Weber, Vice Dean of Medicine at Imperial, Lara Flynn, Vice President of Circassia, an Imperial College spinout valued at more than half a billion pounds, and the Mayor explored how the ‘golden triangle’ of scientific innovation can produce even greater benefits for the country’s health and economy. 

Professor Dermot Kelleher, Vice President (Health) at Imperial College London, said: “London is a world leader in medical research. Our unique combination of great universities and first-class research hospitals, dovetailed with access to a critical mass of entrepreneurial talent and a diverse population, puts the capital at the heart of medical discovery and its application. MedCity will allow us to intensify efforts to turn medical innovations into patient benefits and economic value on a national and international scale. 

“This collaboration will lay the foundations for the next generation of medical advances while helping secure the capital’s long-term growth. London is powering ahead to a healthier and wealthier future.” 

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Together with Oxford and Cambridge we form a ‘golden triangle’ of scientific innovation and we need to channel that intellectual pre-eminence into a positive impact on our economy. MedCity will span everything from research to clinical trials to manufacturing, across biotech, med tech and health tech. I am in no doubt that having the whole ‘chain’ from small spin-offs to massive companies doing their research, clinical development and manufacturing here in London and the south east can be as important to our economy as the financial services sector is today.”

Professor David Gann, Vice-President (Development Innovation) at Imperial College London, said: “MedCity will create jobs, attract new investment and accelerate the discovery of new healthcare applications. Imperial is ready to make a substantial contribution to this life sciences innovation ecosystem.”