Our Partnership

The University of Oxford and Harrington Discovery Institute based at University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio, have formed a unique partnership combining world-leading strengths in research and therapeutics development, to form the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre (OHC). The OHC will set the science and innovation agenda, driving cutting-edge rare disease breakthroughs to address the unmet need in rare disease across the globe to deliver major clinical impact for patients.

OUR MISSION is to deliver new treatments for the 400 million affected by rare diseases worldwide

OUR GOAL is to deliver 40 drugs in the next 10 years

Worldwide Health Challenge

400 million people across the globe have a rare disease, affecting 1 in 17 people during their life. Rare diseases disproportionately impact children, with a third of affected children dying before their fifth birthday. Patients with rare diseases, and their families, often have a long journey to diagnosis and little hope for a cure. Fewer than 5% of rare diseases have approved treatments. Powerful advances in DNA sequencing, scientific research and drug development will make curing rare diseases a reality.

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford ranks number one in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2017 to 2023), and its Medical Sciences Division is consistently at the forefront of innovative and lifesaving science. The University has more than 250 principal investigator scientists working on over 350 rare diseases and cutting-edge technologies to accelerate drug development.

The Radcliffe Camera - University of Oxford

University of Oxford - Highlights

Global Research in 40 Countries

Over £416 million
Research Income

(per year)

Over 8000
Research Outputs

(per year)

Harrington Discovery Institute

Since 2012, the Harrington Discovery Institute brings expert knowledge and capability to develop medicines. Harrington has supported more than 170 drugs-in-the-making across disease areas and academic institutions, with a concentration in diseases where unmet need is greatest. Harrington houses a Therapeutics Development Center, which hosts a team of scientific, pharmaceutical, and drug development experts who have led many drugs to market in the pharma and biotech sectors. Harrington advances promising discoveries into the clinic by aligning scientific and drug discovery expertise into a uniquely successful, new model for medical breakthroughs.

The Harrington Discovery Building in Ohio, USA