We believe that people with rare cancer have the right to live better, longer lives. We make this happen by bringing people together to create opportunities to accelerate research.
About
We believe that people with rare cancer have the right to live better, longer lives. We make this happen by bringing people together to create opportunities to accelerate research.
We are an organisation that exists to improve outcomes for people with rarer forms of cancer and everything we do is governed by our core values.
Impactful
Everything we do is led by and aimed at having a positive impact on people affected by rare cancers.
Trustworthy
We are transparent about how we operate, work with integrity and to the highest ethical standards, keeping our members’ data safe and secure.
Determined
We are passionate about making a difference and impatient to see things change for the better.
Brave
We are forthright and ambitious about challenging the status quo, and not afraid to be audacious on behalf of, and with the permission of our members.
Inclusive
We work to include everyone affected by rare cancers and are open to all researchers with ethically approved research studies.
We are currently a small but wonderfully formed team working together to launch RareCan.
Andy Hall
Chief Scientific Officer
Andy retired from Newcastle University in 2016. After qualifying in medicine, he specialised in haematology before moving to laboratory-based research in childhood leukaemia. He was the Director of the Northern Institute for Cancer Research and is currently a non-executive director for the Human Tissue Authority and the chair of an NHS Research Ethics Committee.
Claire Heron
Non-Executive Director
Claire was the Project Manager for the MRC/EPSRC-funded Newcastle Molecular Pathology Node. Claire has been a professional project manager for over 16 years and brings diverse experience from a range of environments including NHS, Higher Education and Local Government. She specialises is the delivery of projects in complex and challenging environments.
Piers Kotting
Chief Executive Officer
Piers was a Research Delivery and Programme Director at the National Institute for Health Research. He is an alumnus of the NHS Innovation Accelerator and Gateway to Leadership rogrammes, and an Honorary Associate Professor of Healthcare Innovation and Commercialisation at the University of Exeter. Piers has an MBA and previous start up and managerial experience in the private sector.
Simon Allocca
Chief Financial Officer
Simon Allocca, has 30 years’ experience in banking, spanning Capital Markets, Corporate Coverage, Risk and Investment Banking Business. Most recently, he was Managing Director, and Global Head of Industrials and Manufacturing at Lloyds Banking Group from 2011 to 2019. Simon is currently a Non-Executive Director at CBM plc and he is also a Board member of Digital Identity Net, a fast growing Fintech company.
Amanda Gibbon
Non-Executive Chair
Amanda Gibbon is a non-executive director of Whittington Health NHS Trust and an associate non-executive director of Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. She has extensive experience of lay involvement and governance within the NHS and public sector,
having been a governor of UCLH NHS Foundation Trust for nine years, where she continues to chair both the trust’s Organ Donation Committee and the UCL/UCLH Biobank Ethical Review Committee. She was a Member of the Human Tissue Authority from 2014 to 2021 and a member of the UK Donation Ethics Committee until it was wound up in 2016. She is a lay member of NHS Blood and Transplant’s National Organ Donation Committee and chair of the steering committee for the UK CRC Tissue Directory and Co-ordination Centre as well as a trustee of various charities and a magistrate.
About RareCan Ltd
RareCan Ltd is an organisation set up for the purpose of speeding up research and ultimately improving outcomes for people with rarer forms of cancer. We have adopted a legal structure that we believe achieves the right balance between providing an attractive investment opportunity to stimulate and maintain the financial backing required to set up and grow RareCan, and ensuring that we remain true to our purpose. Alongside this, we have plans to start a social benefit trust, the profits of which will be fed back into the rare cancer communities we serve.
Our Core Values
RareCan Ltd will benefit registrants by enabling people to share, manage and protect their personal data. We believe that personal information is valuable, vulnerable and private. We are committed only to undertake activities which will contribute to the company’s stated purpose as set out in our Articles of Association and to ensure that any personal benefits are a by-product of the activities of the company.
As we grow, we will work towards becoming a B Corporation. B Corporations are businesses that balance purpose and profit. They are required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and the environment. B Corporations meet the highest standards of verified social and environments performance, public transparency and legal accountability.
Company Structure
RareCan Ltd is a company limited by shares registered in England, Company Number 12844377. Our shareholders are our directors, staff and investors that provide the capital needed to help make a success of RareCan. The company has a Board of directors made up of the 3 founding executive directors and 3 non-executive directors. Alongside RareCan Ltd we have set up a Social Benefit Trust with an independent board of trustees that will ensure the social purpose and ethos of RareCan.
How we Make Money
RareCan generates its income from researchers who use our platform. We charge a fee for access to the data we hold and the income this generates is then reinvested back into RareCan. These fees are determined by the type of research being undertaken, the data being requested to undertake that research and the nature of the funder of the research.
Together we can make rare cancers curable
If you have a cancer diagnosis or you are the parent of a child with a cancer diagnosis, please start here.
If you’re a friend or family member of someone with cancer, a nurse, an oncologist, an activist, a fundraiser or you’d simply like to help, please start here.
If you are interested in setting up a research project or clinical trial aimed at improving the care people affected by rare cancer receive please start here.