Oxford University and GSK launch a £50 million experimental medicine programme aiming to train the immune system to prevent cancer, paving the way for breakthrough vaccines and early‑stage treatments
The University of Oxford and pharmaceutical giant GSK have announced a pioneering £50 million partnership to advance cancer prevention research to new heights. Their joint experimental medicine initiative, the GSK-Oxford Cancer Immuno-Prevention Programme, will investigate the origins of precancerous cells and explore the potential of vaccines or immune-based therapies to prevent them.
Leveraging molecular insights for experimental medicine
The partnership aims to redefine the approach to studying and treating immune-mediated inflammatory diseases by leveraging molecular insights to drive clinical advancements. The GSK and University of Oxford Experimental Medicine Collaboration (EMC) will enable the testing of multiple medicines across various cellular mechanisms in parallel.
At the helm of the EMC will be Oxford’s Professor Christopher Buckley and Dr Eric Olson, Vice President and Head of Early Development Leaders at GSK, bringing their wealth of experience and knowledge to the forefront.
GSK will provide a £10 million infrastructure grant for the Oxford EMCRF, a NIHR research facility that will serve as a cornerstone for experimental medicine studies across the Oxford Medical Sciences Division, playing a pivotal role in the partnership.
The partnership will combine drug discovery, target validation, and clinical development of GSK, utilising Oxford’s research and development success. The Oxford EMCRF will involve close collaboration between the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, ensuring that everyone is part of the progress.
Expert commentary
Dame Fiona Powrie, Director of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology and a Professor of Musculoskeletal Sciences at the University of Oxford, said: ‘This exciting new collaboration represents the best of Oxford’s translational science in action. By partnering with GSK through the EMC, we aim to revolutionise how inflammatory diseases are studied and treated. This initiative brings together world-class expertise, cutting-edge facilities, and a bold approach to accelerate the transition from lab-based discovery to patient benefit.’
Christopher Buckley said: ‘The Experimental Medicine Collaboration with GSK enables us to rethink how we approach early-phase clinical studies. By focusing on experimental medicine trials that aim to establish cellular causality, we can de-risk drug development by understanding how therapies interact with disease at the cellular level. Our ability to run parallel studies across multiple diseases puts us in a unique position to drive forward precision treatments faster and more efficiently than ever before.’
