Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

What Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation does

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit biomedical research institute headquartered at 825 NE 13th Street in Oklahoma City, founded in 1946 with the mission of conducting basic research to extend healthy human lifespan. OMRF operates laboratories and clinical programs spanning cancer, lupus, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and age-related autoimmune conditions, employing more than 300 scientists and staff and running an MS Center of Excellence that serves over 4,000 patients from Oklahoma and neighboring states. The foundation's research platform includes the world's largest lupus biorepository, the Lupus Family Registry and Repository, and the Oklahoma Cohort of Rheumatic Diseases, with FDA-approved outputs including Adakveo (crizanlizumab, licensed to Novartis) and the experimental brain cancer compound OKN-007 in clinical trials; OMRF is one of only 10 designated Autoimmunity Centers of Excellence in the U.S.

OMRF funds its research through a diversified revenue base combining federal grants (notably a $58.5 million NIH public-private autoimmune disease partnership, alongside NHLBI, NIAID, NIGMS, and VA grants), private foundation support (Presbyterian Health Foundation $16M over a decade, TSET $9.9M, BrightFocus, AHA, Lupus Research Alliance), philanthropy (including $8M from the Meinders Foundation, $1M from Harrison Levy, and decades-long community campaigns), licensing royalties on FDA-approved drugs, and clinical services revenue from the MS and Rheumatology Centers. Distribution of research outputs occurs through direct clinical operations, clinical-trial recruitment, peer-reviewed publications (JCI Insight, AIDS, NEJM), and licensing to pharmaceutical partners. Training and outreach programs — the 650-plus alumni-strong Fleming Scholar pipeline, Langston University Biomedical Research Scholars, and the John H. Saxon Service Academy program — both feed the regional talent base and reinforce donor engagement across multiple generations.

Recent strategic moves include the 2025 creation of the Meinders Center for Neurodegenerative Research and the TSET Institute for a Healthier Oklahoma, the 2026 groundbreaking of the David R. Brown, M.D., Advanced Human Imaging Center, and the 2022 transition of presidency to Andrew Weyrich, Ph.D., formerly vice president for research at the University of Utah. OMRF is governed by an independent Board of Directors, holds Charity Navigator's highest rating for the 21st time, and has been named a top Oklahoma workplace for 12 consecutive years, including Forbes America's Best Small Employers 2023 (#56).

Name

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

Legal name

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation

Website

https://omrf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit biomedical research institute founded in 1946, conducting basic research across cancer, lupus, Alzheimer's, heart disease, MS, and autoimmune disorders, serving patients, federal funders, private foundations, and pharmaceutical licensees from its Oklahoma City campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Biomedical research services
• Autoimmune disease research
• Clinical trial services
• Pharmaceutical drug licensing
• Biomedical training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Snyder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Research Grants: Primary funding source including NIH, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, VA grants, and other federal agencies. OMRF has received numerous multi-million dollar grants including $58.5 million NIH partnership for autoimmune diseases.
2. Private Foundation Grants: Funding from organizations such as Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust ($9.9 million), Presbyterian Health Foundation ($16 million over decade), BrightFocus Foundation, American Heart Association, Lupus Research Alliance, and various other private foundations.
3. Philanthropy and Donations: Charitable donations from individuals, estates (e.g., $1 million from Harrison Levy, $8 million from Herman Meinders), corporate donors, and community fundraising events. The foundation has received estate gifts totaling millions from donors.
4. Licensing Royalties: Revenue from FDA-approved drugs developed at OMRF, such as Adakveo for sickle cell disease based on discoveries by Dr. Rod McEver.
5. Clinical Services: Patient care services through MS Center of Excellence and Rheumatology Center, including clinical trials participation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation is an independent nonprofit biomedical research institute that conducts basic and translational research on cancer, lupus, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, COVID-19, and autoimmune and age-related diseases. It delivers patient care through its Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence and Rheumatology Center, runs clinical trials, licenses discoveries to pharmaceutical partners, and trains the next generation of biomedical researchers through internship and outreach programs.

Product overview

OMRF is a non-profit biomedical research foundation offering a portfolio of research programs, clinical services, and educational/training initiatives rather than a commercial product platform. The foundation's core offering is its biomedical research across disease areas (cancer, lupus, Alzheimer's, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, aging), supplemented by clinical care through its Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence and patient-facing clinics. Educational programs include the Fleming Scholar internship program, Langston University partnership, and Saxon Service Academy program. Technology Ventures advances discoveries toward commercialization. Recent additions include the TSET Institute for chronic conditions and the Meinders Center for Neurodegenerative Research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million Americans live with MS; OMRF's MS Center serves 4,000+ patients
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Progentec DiagnosticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgentec Diagnostics collaborated with OMRF on lupus research, led by OMRF's Chief Scientific Officer. The collaboration produced peer-reviewed research published in Lupus Science & Medicine introducing a Lupus Classification Risk Immune Index (L-CRI) blood test. Progentec also received an OCAST Industry Innovation Grant for further development of the lupus classification risk test.
• Weill Cornell Medical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientists at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York collaborated with OMRF scientist Jasim Ahamed on two separate studies examining how HIV and certain drugs in the treatment regimen cause heart damage. The collaboration investigated why people with HIV develop heart failure 10 years earlier than the general population.
• Langston UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFifth summer of partnership between OMRF and Langston University to train Langston students in biomedical research. Students have researched diseases including MS, arthritis, lupus, and cancer. Program aims to diversify biomedical science.
• U.S. Service Academies (Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn H. Saxon Service Academy Summer Research Program provides internships to students from U.S. service academies. Nearly 50 students have interned through the program since 2009. John Saxon III, M.D., established the program to honor his father, a West Point graduate.
• Putnam City School DistrictcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership dates to 1975 when the district designated OMRF as beneficiary of its annual cancer drive. Has raised $4 million for research at OMRF. Partnership led to experimental brain cancer drug now in clinical trials. Annual Junior Scientist Days recognize district's support.
• Oklahoma State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStillwater High School's annual 'Pink Out' activities have raised over $128,000 for cancer research since 2011.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• La Jolla Institute for Immunology: Independent nonprofit biomedical research institute focused on immunology and autoimmune disease, with comparable disease focus (lupus, MS, inflammatory diseases) and a similar combination of basic science, clinical translation, and NIH-funded research programs.
• Allen Institute: Philanthropically funded nonprofit research organization conducting large-scale biomedical science programs with open-science data sharing, comparable to OMRF in mission structure (nonprofit research foundation) and emphasis on high-impact, collaborative discovery.
• Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research: Independent nonprofit research institute affiliated with MIT, focused on basic biomedical research with elite faculty and NIH-funded programs. Highly comparable to OMRF in scale, mission, and independent nonprofit structure.
• Gladstone Institutes: Independent nonprofit biomedical research organization affiliated with UCSF focused on diseases of the heart, brain, and immune system. Direct overlap with OMRF's cardiovascular, neurological, and autoimmune research portfolio.
• Salk Institute for Biological Studies: Independent nonprofit biological research institute with elite faculty structure (Nobel laureates, National Academy members), NIH funding, and a basic-to-translational research model closely paralleling OMRF's approach.
• Buck Institute for Research on Aging: Independent nonprofit research institute solely focused on aging and age-related disease. Strongly comparable to OMRF's new Aging and Metabolism Research Program and Meinders Center for Neurodegenerative Research in mission and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: Large nonprofit research hospital combining clinical care and basic science with similar grant-plus-philanthropy funding model. Comparable as a mission-driven research institution, though focused on pediatric catastrophic diseases rather than autoimmune/aging.
• The Scripps Research Institute: Major nonprofit biomedical research organization with broad programs across immunology, neuroscience, and chemistry. Larger scale than OMRF but comparable in mission, NIH-funding dependency, and nonprofit structure.
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Largest nonprofit biomedical research organization in the U.S., supporting Investigator-led basic research across hundreds of labs. Comparable as a nonprofit research funder/operator with elite scientist development, though at vastly greater scale than OMRF.
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: Independent nonprofit research institution focused on cancer, immunotherapy, and infectious disease with significant NIH funding and clinical translation. Comparable to OMRF in disease focus (cancer), funding mix, and mission-driven nonprofit model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/omrf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OmrfOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/OMRFOK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/omrf---the-oklahoma-medical-research-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/omrf

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors7 records

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation