Foundation for Biomedical Research

What Foundation for Biomedical Research does

Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, that serves as the leading advocacy and education voice supporting the role of humane, ethical animal research in medical breakthroughs for both humans and companion animals. The organization was established in the early 1980s and operates today with 1–10 employees, relying entirely on individual donations and corporate sponsorship with no government funding.

FBR's "product" surface is a portfolio of advocacy and educational programs rather than commercial offerings. Core programs include the Making Medicine campaign (explaining how animal research produces medicines and vaccines), FBR Real Pet Stories (a blog series linking veterinary treatments back to animal research), the DeBakey Journalism Awards, the Love Animals? Support Animal Research initiative, the Animal Research: Unlocking Medical Miracles editorial series, COVID-19 resource materials, and a polling and research initiative run in partnership with Ardelis Health that surveys 2,600 U.S. adults and 300 professionals. FBR also produces video content and distributes the SmartBrief newsletter, with distribution concentrated on its own website (fbresearch.org) and major social platforms (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram).

FBR's business model is donation-driven: tax-deductible individual giving, corporate sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies (Takeda, AbbVie, AstraZeneca), and a pet-story sponsorship program. It partners with the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) on policy, with AAALAC International on accreditation, and with the European Animal Research Association (EARA), CALAM, SfN, AALAS, and SECAL on international transparency and patient engagement. Primary audiences are the general public, biomedical research institutions, pet owners and animal lovers, policymakers, and international research organizations.

Name

Foundation for Biomedical Research

Legal name

Foundation for Biomedical Research

Website

https://fbresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Foundation for Biomedical Research is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit that educates the public, policymakers, and research institutions on the role of ethical animal research in medical breakthroughs, funded by individual donations and corporate sponsorships and based in Washington, DC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Biomedical Research Advocacy

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Biomedical research advocacy
• Animal research education
• Nonprofit scientific outreach
• Medical research awareness
• Ethical research campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: FBR relies on individual donations from supporters who want to promote ethical animal research. Donations are tax-deductible as the organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Corporate Funding: FBR receives corporate funding from pharmaceutical companies and other corporate sponsors to support its programs. The organization explicitly states it receives no government funding.
3. Pet Story Sponsorship: FBR offers a pet story sponsorship program where donors can sponsor the sharing of pet health stories that illustrate how animal research benefits animals too.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Foundation for Biomedical Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates for the ethical use of animals in biomedical research. It delivers public education campaigns, educational materials, real pet stories, polling and research insights, video content, and the annual DeBakey Journalism Awards to build understanding and support for animal research among the general public, research institutions, and policymakers.

Product overview

The Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) operates as a nonprofit advocacy and educational organization rather than a traditional product company. Its offerings consist of educational campaigns, content programs, and resource materials. Key offerings include: the Making Medicine Campaign explaining the drug development process; FBR Real Pet Stories documenting how animal research benefits veterinary medicine; the Love Animals? Support Animal Research initiative; DeBakey Journalism Awards recognizing responsible reporting; Animal Research: Unlocking Medical Miracles blog content; FBR Polling research insights; video content; and the FBR Materials resource library including the Animal Research Success Brochure and LASAR materials. The organization also provides COVID-19 resources and publishes annual reports. These offerings work together to advance public understanding of ethical animal research's role in medical breakthroughs for both humans and animals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FBR Real Pet Stories: A blog series sharing stories about pet health journeys and how animal research has helped improve treatments for animals.
• Making Medicine
• DeBakey Awards

Products and services

• Making Medicine Campaign A public education campaign from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that explains how animal research contributes to medical breakthroughs, aimed at the general public, donors, and supporters of ethical scientific research.
• Love Animals? Support Animal Research Campaign A public-facing advocacy campaign aimed at pet owners and animal lovers, communicating that animal research advances both human and veterinary medicine.
• DeBakey Journalism Awards An annual awards program from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that recognizes journalists who report responsibly and accurately on the role of animal research in medical advances.
• FBR Real Pet Stories A storytelling content series from the Foundation for Biomedical Research featuring real pet stories that illustrate how animal research benefits both animal and human health.
• Animal Research: Unlocking Medical Miracles An educational resource from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that explains how animal research has unlocked medical breakthroughs and saves lives.
• FBR Polling & Research Insights Polling and research insights from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that provide data on public attitudes toward animal research to support advocacy and education.
• FBR Materials Educational materials from the Foundation for Biomedical Research, including brochures, fact sheets, and printed resources for the public and supporters.
• FBR Videos Video content from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that supports its advocacy and educational mission by explaining the role of animal research.
• COVID-19 Resources Dedicated COVID-19 resources from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that highlight the role of animal research in the development of vaccines and treatments during the pandemic.
• FBR Annual Report An annual report from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that summarizes the organization's activities, impact, and financial stewardship for donors and stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 84% of Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have involved animal research
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Animal Research Association (EARA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025In November 2025, FBR co-led workshops with EARA at three major international meetings — the AALAS National Meeting in Long Beach, the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting in San Diego, and the SECAL National Congress in Bilbao — to promote patient engagement and transparency in animal research.
• CALAM (Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025EARA, with FBR's involvement, co-led a Canadian initiative with CALAM on Transparency Agreements to expand the network of institutions committed to openness about animal research in Canada.
• Society for Neuroscience (SfN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025FBR participated in the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting in San Diego in November 2025, engaging with neuroscientists on open communication about animal research.
• AALAS (American Association for Laboratory Animal Science)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025FBR participated in the AALAS National Meeting in Long Beach in November 2025, presenting on patient engagement and transparency in animal research.
• SECAL (Sociedad Española para las Ciencias del Animal de Laboratorio)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025FBR participated in the SECAL National Congress in Bilbao in November 2025, presenting updates on the growing network of Transparency Agreements.
• Washington Adoption Center for Retired Research Animals (WACRRA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024WACRRA, founded by a University of Washington researcher, rehomes retired research animals. FBR's platform features stories about rehomed research animals, supporting this initiative.
• Johns Hopkins Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy (CIGAT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy at Johns Hopkins, headed by Dr. Dara Kraitchman, performed cryosurgery on a dog with spindle cell sarcoma as part of a grant study. The cryotherapy technology was developed with mice and rats at Johns Hopkins and helped extend the dog's life.
• National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFBR works closely with NABR, which advocates for policies that enable responsible animal research to advance both human and animal health. The two organizations collaborate on advocacy efforts and share resources for research institutions facing activist disruption.
• Ardelis HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFBR partnered with Ardelis Health to conduct a three-part strategic research initiative to understand attitudes toward biomedical research involving animals, including stakeholder interviews, social media analysis, and a national survey of 2,600 U.S. adults and 300 professionals.
• Takeda Pharmaceutical Company LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTakeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a corporate sponsor of FBR's Real Pet Stories campaign, supporting the sharing of stories about how animal research benefits companion animals.
• AAALAC InternationalcoreOthersFBR is a member of AAALAC International, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes humane treatment of animals in science through accreditation and assessment programs.
• Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe executive director of SCAW contributed a pet story about how potassium bromide medication, developed through animal research, helped treat her dog's seizures.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR): U.S. advocacy organization that directly partners with FBR to lobby for policies enabling responsible animal research. NABR is the closest policy-side counterpart to FBR's public-education mission and serves overlapping institutional members.
• European Animal Research Association (EARA): European communications and advocacy organization promoting transparency and public acceptance of animal research. EARA is FBR's explicit international partner on Transparency Agreements and joint workshops.
• Americans for Medical Progress (AMP): U.S. nonprofit that champions the role of animal research in medical progress and counters misinformation. AMP competes for the same donor pool and institutional partnerships and operates a very similar public-engagement model.

Others

• Society for Neuroscience (SfN): Large scientific society whose annual meeting FBR participates in to engage neuroscientists on communications around animal research. Comparable in operating as a U.S. nonprofit serving biomedical researchers, but mission is scientific rather than advocacy.
• AAALAC International: Private nonprofit that accredits animal care and use programs globally. FBR is an AAALAC member; AAALAC is an adjacent ecosystem participant that enforces the welfare standards FBR publicly champions.
• American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS): Professional association for laboratory animal science professionals where FBR regularly presents. AALAS is an enabling stakeholder that connects FBR to the practitioners whose work FBR advocates for.

Regional players

• Understanding Animal Research (UAR): U.K.-based organization that promotes the public understanding of animal research. Comparable mission and toolset (concordat on openness, public events, school resources) but operates primarily in the U.K. rather than the U.S.
• Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine (CALAM): Canadian professional veterinary association partnered with EARA and FBR on a Transparency Agreement initiative. Operates in the same advocacy ecosystem but is Canada-focused and veterinary-medicine-anchored.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/researchsaves
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/fbresearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/fbresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/9361755
• Instagraminstagram.com/fbrorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Foundation for Biomedical Research