Gene Therapy And The UK's Therexsys

Human gene therapy has progressed from speculation to reality in a short space of time. In the USA a number of companies have initiated gene therapy research and development programs, and have made considerable advances.

Interest in gene therapy is reflected by a high level of media coverage. Recently, a conference in Brussels attempted to address key issues in gene therapy, such as who will benefit, when will the universal therapy be available, what will the market size be in 2010, etc. The interest in gene therapy can also be measured by the fact that it has entered public consciousness.

However, despite this interest there is only one company actively engaging in gene therapy in the UK. This is Therexsys, which was founded in July 1992 with the backing of the Medical Research Council and the Cancer Research Campaign. It is located on the Keele University Science Park at the centre of the University campus, with access to all academic and research facilities. Initial funding was completed in 1993 and raised over L6.4 million ($9.95 million) in venture capital to support in-house R&D activities and to progress products into early clinical trials.