Institute of Cancer Research

What Institute of Cancer Research does

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) is a London-based cancer research institute and registered charity founded in 1909 and a college of the University of London. It self-describes its mission as influencing and shaping policy and raising public awareness of the importance of cancer research. The institute operates 8 research divisions and more than 120 research groups, with a workforce of 1,001-5,000 staff, conducting basic, translational, and clinical cancer research.

ICR's research outputs include the discovery of two globally significant cancer drugs - carboplatin and abiraterone - and a sustained pipeline of 13 drugs that have entered clinical trials since 2005 alongside 21 preclinical candidates. Its technology platforms include the PhenMap AI system for cancer phenotyping, AI-enhanced MRI analysis, and AI-driven drug repurposing pipelines. The institute co-develops the £1 billion London Cancer Hub with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and operates as the academic partner for translational drug development.

As a charity and higher education institution, ICR's revenue model is built on competitive research grants, philanthropic donations, and commercial income from drug discovery and licensing. Recent disclosed funding includes a $25M Cancer Grand Challenges award, a $10M Prostate Cancer Foundation grant, an €8M Horizon Europe award, £42M for the TRANSFORM breast cancer screening trial, and a £400k MRC grant. Its commercial outputs (notably abiraterone royalties) and its translational partnership with the Royal Marsden provide additional non-grant income streams.

Name

Institute of Cancer Research

Legal name

The Institute of Cancer Research

Website

https://icr.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Institute of Cancer Research is a London-based cancer research institute and charity (founded 1909) that runs 8 divisions and 120+ research groups, discovers new cancer drugs, and partners with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust to translate science into clinical treatments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Research

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHABAC

Health & Biomedical Research Universities (Academic Medical Center–Affiliated)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Private Research Universities

Keywords

• Cancer research services
• Drug discovery
• Clinical trial design
• Radiotherapy research
• Genetic epidemiology

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Philanthropy: As a registered charity, ICR receives donations from public donors, major philanthropists, and legacy pledges. The website features donation portals, fundraising events, and specific appeals for different cancer types.
2. Research Grants and Awards: ICR receives substantial competitive research funding from Cancer Grand Challenges ($25 million for childhood cancer), MRC, NIHR, Cancer Research UK, Prostate Cancer Foundation ($10 million TACTICAL Award), and other funding bodies.
3. Pharmaceutical Industry Partnerships: Collaborations with pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca (durvalumab bladder cancer trial funding), Theolytics (Horizon Europe grant for ovarian cancer trial), and commercial licensing/partnerships for drug discoveries.
4. Academic/Training Fees: As a higher education institution and member of University of London, ICR generates revenue from PhD programmes, MSc in Oncology, and other educational offerings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) is a charity and research institute that conducts multi-disciplinary cancer research across eight divisions, including molecular biology, genetics, drug discovery, radiotherapy, imaging, and clinical trials. It operates the world's largest academic cancer drug discovery group, runs Phase I-III clinical trials, and licenses drug discoveries to pharmaceutical companies. The ICR also delivers postgraduate education (PhD and MSc programmes) and provides advanced research facilities and technology platforms.

Product overview

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London is a world-leading cancer research institute and charity that operates as a platform of integrated research services and infrastructure rather than a traditional product company. The core offerings include: (1) the CanSAR knowledgebase - a freely available cancer research database supporting drug discovery; (2) the Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit (ICR-CTSU) conducting Phase II/III trials influencing NHS and global clinical practice; (3) the Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery - the world's largest academic cancer drug discovery group; (4) the Drug Development Unit - a leading Phase I clinical trials centre treating ~300 patients annually; (5) advanced research facilities and technology platforms including genomics, proteomics, and imaging services; (6) educational programmes including PhD training; and (7) strategic infrastructure including the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and London Cancer Hub development. The ICR discovers more new cancer drugs than any other academic centre globally and has been responsible for discoveries including carboplatin and abiraterone.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Cancer Research UK Convergence Science Centre: A strategic collaboration between ICR and Imperial College London to open up new frontiers in cancer research.
• London Cancer Hub
• ICR-CTSU

Products and services

• CanSAR Knowledgebase A freely available online cancer knowledgebase integrating complex biological, chemical, and pharmacological data to help identify potentially druggable cancer targets. Used by academic researchers and drug discovery scientists worldwide.
• Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit (ICR-CTSU) Designs, conducts, and analyses national and international Phase II and III cancer clinical trials, directly influencing clinical practice within the NHS and worldwide. Service for clinical researchers, NHS, and pharmaceutical sponsors.
• Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery The largest academic cancer drug discovery and development group in the world, covering every aspect of new drug discovery and development from concept to clinic. Delivers new preclinical and clinical-stage oncology drug candidates.
• Drug Development Unit One of the world's leading centres for Phase I cancer clinical trials, treating around 300 patients per year with molecularly targeted treatments matched to individual tumour molecular features. Operated jointly with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
• Research Facilities and Technology Platforms State-of-the-art research technologies including genomics, proteomics, flow cytometry, light and electron microscopy, histology, X-ray crystallography, and in vivo imaging. Services are available to external academic and industry users.
• PhD Programme Competitive postgraduate PhD programme training the next generation of world-leading cancer research scientists, with above-average stipends and access to exceptional research facilities. Awarded through University of London.
• NIHR Biomedical Research Centre The only UK NIHR Biomedical Research Centre specifically focused on cancer, driving pioneering translational and clinical research in partnership with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
• MSc in Oncology Postgraduate taught degree for clinicians and scientists seeking specialised training in oncology, offered through the ICR's membership of the University of London.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of bladder cancer patients remained cancer-free with immunotherapy added to standard treatment vs 60% in previous trials without immunotherapy
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• University of BirminghamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Co-funded the bladder cancer durvalumab trial alongside AstraZeneca. Collaborative clinical research partnership for immunotherapy assessment.
• Mint MedicalcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2026MedTech company licensing agreement with ICR and Royal Marsden for MINT lesion assessment technology to improve monitoring for patients with bone disease in advanced prostate cancer and multiple myeloma.
• RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Dublin)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Joint development of PhenMap AI tool with ICR scientists to predict cancer patient response to Bevacizumab. Research published in Scientific Reports, funded by EU Horizon 2020 and Research Ireland, studying 117 European patients.
• TheolyticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Biotechnology company awarded €8 million Horizon Europe funding for Phase IIa OCTOPOD-IV clinical trial of THEO-260 (oncolytic immunotherapy for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer). ICR participates alongside cancer centres in Spain and Canada as partner clinical and translational centre, receiving one-third of the grant funding.
• Imperial College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026NIHR Imperial BRC and ICR received nearly £400,000 MRC funding for FIREDANSE project developing secure digital pathology data linking infrastructure to enhance AI research and improve cancer diagnosis.
• SociuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Property company leading London Cancer Hub development with Aviva Capital Partners. Joint venture to deliver 1 million sq ft of state-of-the-art laboratory and research space on 12 acres in Sutton, London.
• The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing clinical partnership forming one of the world's leading cancer research and treatment centres. Joint Drug Development Unit treating 300 patients annually; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (only BRC focused specifically on cancer); joint departments in physics, pathology, and sarcoma research; co-leading clinical trials and research programmes.
• Imperial College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvergence Science Centre partnership bringing together ICR and Imperial to open new frontiers in cancer research. Also joint Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research Unit (CEPRU).
• University of CambridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRUK Children's Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence joint initiative bringing together world experts in paediatric brain tumour research and drug discovery.
• University of LondonminorOthersICR is a member institution of the University of London, providing higher education status and association with the university's academic network.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI): Dutch independent cancer research institute combining basic research with on-site clinical treatment — closely comparable in integrated research-clinical model and European academic drug discovery focus.
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Harvard-affiliated private cancer research institute and treatment centre with deep drug discovery pipeline (e.g., abiraterone co-developed with ICR's academic collaborators) and major clinical trial activity — directly comparable in mission and translational model.
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: US independent, nonprofit research institute focused on cancer and infectious diseases with strong clinical trials and translational science programmes — comparable as a peer charity-funded research organisation.
• Francis Crick Institute: London-based biomedical discovery institute with significant cancer research and major UK charity/government funding base — directly comparable as a UK-based, discovery-focused research institute operating at similar scale and funding model.
• Karolinska Institutet: Sweden's leading medical university with major cancer research portfolio, AMC affiliation, and significant clinical trial output — comparable as a European academic-medical research and training institution.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: US-based private cancer research institute and hospital with a large drug discovery and clinical trials operation; highly comparable to ICR in combining basic research with translational oncology and producing practice-changing trials.
• German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ): Germany's largest biomedical research institute focused on cancer, combining basic research with translational programmes and clinical partnerships — comparable as a publicly funded national cancer research institute with industry partnerships.
• Wellcome Sanger Institute: UK-based genomic and cancer research institute with major charity (Wellcome) funding and genomic-scale data assets — comparable as a UK charity-funded research powerhouse with significant cancer focus.
• MD Anderson Cancer Center: World-leading academic cancer research and treatment centre integrating basic science, drug discovery, and clinical trials at massive scale; directly comparable to ICR's integrated research-translation model.
• Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO): Barcelona-based translational cancer research centre closely integrated with Vall d'Hebron University Hospital; comparable as a European academic cancer research institute partnering in multi-country trials alongside ICR.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ICR_London
• Facebookfacebook.com/theinstituteofcancerresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-institute-of-cancer-research

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors4 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Cancer Research