James Harrison

James Harrison has built Cycle Pharmaceuticals from a blank sheet of paper in 2012 to be one of the fastest growing large-scale award-winning private businesses in the UK today. Cycle is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through innovative drug development and providing individualised patient support services for the underserved rare disease community. Cycle’s drugs treat genetic conditions such as multiple sclerosis and phenylketonuria. Cycle’s patients did not choose their conditions and will not get better. They have a daily burden and require life-long and life-saving treatments. Cycle’s aim is to improve their daily quality of life, which also positively impacts their family/carers and the healthcare professionals involved. Cycle currently sells 9 drugs in the US – more than 2,500 US rare disease patients rely on Cycle’s drugs every day. Cycle is expected to achieve close to $200 million net sales in 2025. Cycle has more than 200 employees with 80 of these based at Cycle’s headquarters in Cambridge. Ever since incorporation in 2012, Cycle has had a social purpose. Without affecting commercial opportunities in countries that can afford medicines, Cycle should provide drug for free in countries that cannot. Cycle provides its NITYR medicine for free to approximately 50 children in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Untreated these patients are unlikely to reach 2 years of age.