Probing the secrets of microscopic killers at UCL

Breakthrough research to improve our understanding of viruses and develop new medicines

Research at University College London has led to a major new enterprise which is developing the tools to understand and combat dangerous diseases. Basic research into molecular pathogenicity led to the creation of a novel technology termed Transposon-mediated Differential Hybridisation (TMDH), which allows researchers to analyse the genes of a target organism. Building on this breakthrough, Arrow Therapeutics Ltd has developed an array of potential anti-viral drugs.

Arrow therapeutics was purchased by the pharmaceutical company Astra Zeneca in 2007 for around $150m in cash, generating large financial returns for the researchers and the university. The products being developed by the company work to combat important viruses such as Hepatitis C and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). They could have enormous impacts on healthcare, and potentially save many lives.