GBG Forschungs

What GBG Forschungs does

GBG Forschungs GmbH (operating as the German Breast Group) is an independent, neutrally-positioned Academic Research Organization (ARO) and the largest breast cancer study group in Germany, with over 40 years of operational history since 1980. Headquartered in Neu-Isenburg, the company designs and executes investigator-initiated clinical trials across neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and metastatic settings in breast cancer. Unlike commercially-sponsored studies, GBG's research agenda is driven by academic questions originating from practicing physician-investigators, with drug approval treated as a secondary objective. The organization coordinates a network of more than 1,000 physicians at 800+ study centers in Germany and internationally, enrolling over 3,500 new patients annually and maintaining clinical data on more than 70,000 breast cancer patients historically.

Name

GBG Forschungs

Legal name

GBG Forschungs GmbH

Website

https://gbg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

GBG Forschungs GmbH is Germany's largest breast cancer study group, operating as an independent Academic Research Organization that runs investigator-initiated clinical trials across neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and metastatic settings through a network of 1,000+ physicians and 800+ study centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oncology Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV) (HLAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE), Site & Investigator Platforms (Site Payments, Feasibility, Activation) (HLACAOAJ), Clinical Trial Analytics, Risk-Based Monitoring (RBM) & Quality Management (HLACAOAI)

Keywords

• Clinical trial services
• Breast cancer research
• Oncology studies
• Academic research organization
• Translational research

Headquarters

HQ city

Neu Isenburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

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. Clinical Trial Services for Business Partners: GBG provides end-to-end clinical trial services for pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers seeking to conduct clinical development in breast cancer. Services include study design, site management, data collection, and regulatory support.
2. Academic Research Funding: Funded by government grants, foundations (Deutsche Krebshilfe, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Foundation), and international research collaborations. The organization is independent and academically oriented, not primarily profit-driven.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GBG Forschungs GmbH is an independent, academically oriented Academic Research Organization (ARO) that designs and executes investigator-initiated breast cancer clinical trials across neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and metastatic settings. It provides end-to-end clinical trial services to pharmaceutical and biotech partners, supported by a translational research infrastructure including the GBG Biobank, patient self-reported outcome registry, and a network of more than 1,000 physicians at over 800 study centers across Germany and internationally.

Product overview

GBG Forschungs GmbH is a neutral Academic Research Organization (ARO) that operates as the largest German breast cancer study group. The company offers end-to-end clinical trial management services for breast cancer research, providing study design, site network management (over 800 centers), data collection, and translational research capabilities including a biobank. The core service portfolio includes adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and postneoadjuvant clinical studies across various breast cancer subtypes (HR+/HER2-, HER2+, triple-negative), with key studies including Cambria-1, Cambria-2, Gepar series trials, SASCIA, PALLAS, and DESTINY Breast05. Additional services include the Patient Self-Reported Outcome Registry for long-term participant monitoring and Annual Scientific Reports documenting research outcomes. The organization collaborates with international partners including AGO-B, BIG, NSABP, EORTC, and IBCSG.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clinical Trial Management Services End-to-end Academic Research Organization services for breast cancer clinical development including study design support, site management across 800+ study centers, data collection, and regulatory compliance for academic and industry-sponsored trials. Targeted at pharmaceutical and biotech companies seeking to conduct breast cancer drug development.
• GBG Study Group Network A network of more than 1,000 physicians at over 800 breast cancer study centers across Germany and internationally that conducts clinical trials and has collected data from over 70,000 breast cancer patients. Targeted at pharmaceutical partners seeking patient recruitment and multi-center trial execution, and at patients seeking access to innovative breast cancer therapies.
• Patient Self-Reported Outcome Registry (GBG 071) Central registry enabling long-term monitoring of former study participants through pseudonymized patient-reported outcome data, with direct patient follow-up for health status tracking. Targeted at former trial participants and researchers monitoring long-term outcomes.
• Translational Research Services Translational research and biomarker analysis services leveraging the GBG Biobank for sample storage, gene expression analysis, and on-treatment biopsies to predict treatment response and support personalized therapy development. Targeted at pharmaceutical partners and academic researchers requiring biomarker validation.
• Annual Scientific Reports Annual publications providing a compact overview of ongoing GBG study results, important lectures, research posters, and organizational activities. Targeted at the scientific and medical community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70,000 breast cancer patients' clinical data collected historically
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• AGO-B (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynäkologische Onkologie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with AGO-B on breast cancer clinical trials including Gepar series studies and shared expertise in gynecological oncology research
• Breast International Group (BIG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration on large-scale breast cancer trials including PALLAS (ABCSG-42/AFT-05), OlympiA (BIG 6-13), and other multi-center studies
• NSABP FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on major trials including GeparDouze (NSABP B-59/GBG 96), Penelope (NSABP Foundation), and DESTINY-Breast05 (NSABP B-60)
• ETOP IBCSG Partners FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of PREcoopERA study (IBCSG 67-22) investigating hormonal treatments for premenopausal breast cancer patients
• University Medical Center RostockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with Rostock University Women's Clinic for INSEMA trial and EUBREAST-01 surgical study, with the university serving as study sponsor
• EUBREAST NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network collaboration for EUBREAST-01 study on surgical de-escalation in breast cancer treatment
• EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint study with EORTC on APPALACHES trial investigating palbociclib as alternative to chemotherapy in elderly breast cancer patients
• SOLTIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research group contributing to APPALACHES study and DESTINY-Breast05 (SOLTI-2001)
• UNICANCERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench cancer research network collaborating on APPALACHES study
• IBCSG (International Breast Cancer Study Group)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational breast cancer research organization involved in PREcoopERA (IBCSG 67-22) and APPALACHES studies
• GOIRC (Gruppo Oncologico Italiano di Ricerca Clinica)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian oncology research group collaborating on APPALACHES trial

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer): Pan-European ARO conducting independent oncology clinical trials. Directly comparable as an academic, multi-disease ARO that collaborates with GBG on trials like APPALACHES and competes for the same investigator-initiated breast cancer studies.
• Breast International Group (BIG): International non-profit network coordinating large-scale breast cancer trials. Directly comparable as an academic breast cancer research network that co-runs trials with GBG (PALLAS, OlympiA) and pools member-group resources across borders.
• NSABP Foundation: US-based ARO running cooperative-group breast cancer trials. Directly comparable academic research organization collaborating with GBG on GeparDouze, PENELOPE, and DESTINY-Breast05, with similar investigator-initiated, multi-center trial model.
• IBCSG (International Breast Cancer Study Group): International academic group conducting breast cancer clinical trials. Direct peer operating as an ARO with similar mission, partnered with GBG on PREcoopERA and APPALACHES, and competing for the same investigator-initiated trial portfolio.
• AGO-B (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynäkologische Onkologie Breast): German gynecological oncology working group focused on breast cancer guidelines and trials. Closely comparable as a German breast cancer clinical research network collaborating with GBG on Gepar studies, with overlapping investigator base and study concepts.
• SOLTI: Spanish academic breast cancer research group. Comparable ARO running independent and industry-sponsored breast cancer trials, co-investigator on DESTINY-Breast05 with GBG, and competing for European pharma breast cancer studies.
• ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation: European thoracic and breast cancer clinical research foundation. Comparable academic sponsor running independent trials in breast and lung cancer, partnered with GBG on PREcoopERA.

Regional players

• UNICANCER: French hospital-based cancer research network. Comparable academic oncology trial sponsor collaborating with GBG on APPALACHES, focused primarily on France but addressing the same breast cancer research questions.

Broad incumbents

• IQVIA: Global commercial CRO and clinical trial services provider. Broad incumbent offering end-to-end clinical development at much larger scale; competes with GBG for pharma-sponsored breast cancer trial contracts where sponsors prefer full-service commercial CRO execution.
• ICON plc: Large global CRO providing commercial clinical trial services across oncology. Broad incumbent that competes with GBG for industry-sponsored breast cancer trials where end-to-end global operational scale is required.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GBG_Forschung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gbg-forschungs-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GBG Forschungs