Ontario Institute for Cancer Research

What Ontario Institute for Cancer Research does

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) is a non-profit translational cancer research institute founded in 2005 by the Government of Ontario and headquartered in the MaRS Centre in Toronto. It operates as Ontario's designated cancer research institute, coordinating research, clinical trials, and commercialization across 20+ Ontario communities spanning 10 universities, 25 hospitals, and 10 institutes, and collaborating with 750+ organizations in 49 countries. OICR's core beneficiaries are Ontario cancer patients (46,000+ reached through OICR-supported clinical trials, 21,000+ recruited to OICR-funded trials), clinician-scientists and researchers, and Ontario hospitals participating in networks such as the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network (3CTN) and the Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board (OCREB).

OICR's technology stack centers on genomic sequencing, bioinformatics, computational genomics, and adaptive oncology, anchored by open-source data infrastructure including the ICGC Data Portal (1.3+ petabytes), the Cancer Genome Collaboratory cloud (7.7+ PB storage, 2,592 CPU cores), the NCI Genomics Data Commons, the ICGC-ARGO platform (100,000 patient genomes with clinical data), and the Kids First Data Resource Portal. Drug discovery capabilities produced a first-in-class WDR5 protein inhibitor for MLL-rearranged leukemia, commercialized via spin-out Propellon Therapeutics. The Imaging Program, led by Dr. Aaron Fenster, developed proprietary 3D ultrasound systems for cancer diagnosis and treatment guidance.

OICR's business model is government-funded and non-commercial: primary funding flows from the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, with supplementary public and private sector contributions. Services, research funding, investigator awards, and clinical trial support are provided at no direct cost to researchers and partners. Commercialization is handled by FACIT (Fight Against Cancer Innovation Trust), which provides seed capital and management to spin-out companies and has attracted $1.8 billion in investment to Ontario's life sciences sector across 38 startups since inception. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; specific figures are not stated in the source material.

Name

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research

Legal name

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research

Website

https://oicr.on.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

OICR is Ontario's non-profit translational cancer research institute, founded in 2005 and government-funded, that coordinates genomic, computational, and clinical cancer research across Ontario's universities, hospitals, and startups, and commercializes discoveries via its partner FACIT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN) (HLAGAJAB), Data Management, Biostatistics & Statistical Programming FSP (HLAGAOAB)

Keywords

• Translational cancer research
• Genomic data platforms
• Precision oncology research
• Cancer clinical trials
• Biomedical research funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: OICR is primarily funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Colleges and Universities. It also receives supplementary funding from public and private sector partners. FACIT, its commercialization arm, attracts private capital investment to Ontario's life sciences sector.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OICR is Ontario's provincial cancer research institute that conducts and facilitates translational cancer research. It funds investigator awards, runs collaborative research programs, operates open-source genomic data infrastructure, supports clinical trials, and commercializes discoveries through its partner FACIT to bring innovations from the lab to patients.

Product overview

OICR (Ontario Institute for Cancer Research) is Ontario's provincial cancer research institute focused on translational cancer research. It is not a product company but rather a research organization that facilitates cancer research through collaborative networks, research programs, and strategic investments. The institute supports various research initiatives including genomic data platforms, clinical trials networks, tumor banks, and commercialization activities through its partner FACIT. OICR's work spans early detection, precision medicine, therapeutic innovation, and adaptive oncology research programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICGC Data Portal Open-source genomic data portal providing researchers worldwide access to over 1.3 petabytes of cancer genomic data through the International Cancer Genome Consortium.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 46,000 patients have accessed new cancer innovations through OICR-supported clinical trials
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• New England Biolabs (NEB)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2026OICR researchers collaborate with New England Biolabs as part of scientific presentations and research collaborations at the 2026 AGBT Meeting. OICR scientists co-presented updates alongside NEB collaborators on advances in RNA sequencing, EM-seq, and infectious disease surveillance workflows.
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2026OICR researchers collaborate with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center alongside NEB scientists on genomic sequencing sample preparation research presented at the 2026 AGBT Meeting.
• FACIT (Fight Against Cancer Innovation Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFACIT is OICR's strategic commercialization partner. Together they operate a uniquely integrated translational model that prioritizes Ontario. FACIT provides commercialization expertise, management resources, and seed capital to position OICR discoveries for market success. FACIT has attracted $1.8 billion in investment to Ontario's life sciences sector (2025) and supported 38 startups since inception.
• Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), University of TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOICR's drug discovery group collaborates with the SGC at the University of Toronto on open science drug discovery projects including the WDR5 protein inhibitor for leukemia. SGC identifies target proteins; OICR's medicinal chemistry team optimizes drug-like compounds. The collaboration produced a first-in-class therapeutic candidate commercialized through Propellon Therapeutics.
• Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network (3CTN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner3CTN is a national network making cancer clinical trials more accessible to Canadians. OICR supports 3CTN to eliminate barriers to clinical trial access for patients across Ontario and Canada, contributing to a 79% increase in clinical trial participation over four years.
• Ontario Cancer Research Ethics Board (OCREB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOCREB provides centralized research ethics review for multi-centre cancer clinical trials in Ontario. In 2017-18, OCREB reviewed 96 new multi-centre studies — the highest number ever in a single year — supporting efficient province-wide trial coordination.
• International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOICR hosts the ICGC secretariat and data coordination centre. ICGC has collected, analyzed and shared genomes from over 20,000 untreated primary tumours and is on track to publish nearly 25,000 tumour genomes by 2018. OICR leads the Pan-Canadian Human tumour genome program.
• Pan-Canadian Human Tumour Genome Program / PCAWGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOICR led the PCAWG (Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes) initiative involving over 700 researchers globally studying 2,800 complete genomes. This collaboration generated new insights into the often unexplored regions of the human genome.
• Ontario Health Study / Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow's Health (CanPath)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOICR provides scientific leadership for CanPath (formerly the Ontario Health Study), Canada's largest health research platform. Over 320,000 Canadians from nine provinces are enrolled, enabling researchers worldwide to study the effects of genetics, behaviour, family history and environment on chronic diseases including cancer.
• Ontario Tumour BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ontario Tumour Bank (OTB) provides high-quality tumour tissue samples to researchers across Ontario and beyond, supporting cancer biology and therapeutic research.
• Kids First Data Resource Portal / NIH Gabriella Miller Kids First Program / Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOICR is building the Kids First Data Resource Portal in partnership with NIH and CHOP to link clinical and genomic data on birth defects and childhood cancers, helping researchers understand shared mechanisms.
• Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOICR collaborates with GA4GH to ensure interoperability of cancer genomic data systems globally, enabling cross-border data sharing and research coordination.
• Ontario's universities and hospitals (20+ communities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOICR supports cancer research across 20+ Ontario communities including 10 universities, 25 hospitals, and 10 institutes, providing investigator awards, research infrastructure, and clinical trial support across the province.
• Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute (SCCRI), McMaster UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOICR-funded researchers at SCCRI study leukemia (AML) using sophisticated experimental models and clinical investigation to understand why treatment fails and how bone marrow environments support cancer recurrence.
• Propellon TherapeuticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPropellon Therapeutics was created by FACIT to advance the WDR5 inhibitor toward clinical trials. FACIT provided startup management and seed capital, enabling the company to pursue pharmaceutical industry partnerships for the first-in-class leukemia drug candidate.
• Turnstone BiologicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurnstone Biologics was created through OICR's ORBiT (Ontario Institute for Cancer Research/Ontario Cancer Institute – Business/Terminal) program to commercialize oncolytic virus cancer therapies. The company raised $54 million in 2016, Canada's second-largest biotech VC round that year.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Princess Margaret Cancer Centre: Toronto-based cancer research and treatment centre at University Health Network, directly comparable to OICR as a leading Ontario cancer research institution focused on translational research, precision oncology, and clinical trials.
• BC Cancer Research Centre: British Columbia's provincial cancer research institute, directly comparable as another Canadian provincial cancer research body conducting translational research, genomic sequencing, and clinical trials.
• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: Leading genomic and bioinformatics research institute operating large-scale cancer genomic data platforms, directly comparable to OICR's ICGC Data Portal, Cancer Genome Collaboratory, and cancer genomics infrastructure.
• Wellcome Sanger Institute: UK-based genomic research institute with major cancer genomics programs and large-scale data infrastructure, directly comparable to OICR's cancer genome sequencing and bioinformatics capabilities.
• The Jackson Laboratory: US-based independent genomics and cancer research institute, comparable to OICR in its focus on genomic science, translational cancer research, and open scientific infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: One of the world's largest and most established cancer research and treatment institutions, comparable to OICR as a comprehensive translational cancer research enterprise with genomic sequencing, clinical trials, and drug discovery programs.
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: Major US cancer research centre with overlapping capabilities in translational research, genomics, clinical trials, and biotech commercialization, comparable to OICR's full-spectrum translational mandate.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): US federal cancer research agency, comparable as a large-scale cancer research funding and coordinating body that partners with OICR (e.g., NCI Genomics Data Commons). Represents the larger incumbent OICR collaborates with rather than competes against.
• Cancer Research UK: The world's largest cancer research charity, comparable to OICR as a major non-profit translational cancer research funding organization with broad clinical trials and discovery programs.

Regional players

• Genome Canada: Canadian federal genomics research funding agency, comparable as a regional genomics research enabler that OICR has partnered with and that supports similar translational genomic research programs across Canada.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/347796
• Instagraminstagram.com/oicr_news
• Xx.com/oicr_news
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ontario-Institute-for-Cancer-Research-OICR-133034113992

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments4 records

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Frequently asked questions about Ontario Institute for Cancer Research