What Maurice Wilkins Centre does

The Maurice Wilkins Centre is a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) hosted by the University of Auckland, dedicated to advancing biomedical research in cancer immunology, metabolic health, and infectious diseases. It operates as a national virtual institute that aggregates investigators from the University of Auckland, University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, Massey University, University of Canterbury, AgResearch, and the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), alongside an expanding network of international partners in China, Japan, Korea, India, Thailand, Indonesia, the United States, and the Pacific region.

Its core scientific output comprises early-stage drug discovery and translational research programmes — most notably a portfolio of proprietary hypoxia-activated prodrugs (including PR104 and PR610) and other compounds targeting infectious disease and metabolic conditions — many of which have been out-licensed to international pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners (Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Pathway Therapeutics, Proacta, TB Alliance, Yakult, Centella) for clinical development and commercialisation. The Centre also conducts pathogen genomics, immunology, and biomedical science research with broad academic and translational outputs.

The Centre's business model is that of a publicly funded, non-profit research organisation. Primary revenue comes from competitive government grants — most prominently the Health Research Council of New Zealand and the CoRE funding mechanism administered by the Tertiary Education Commission — supplemented by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) contracts, royalty and milestone payments from licensed drug candidates, and philanthropic support. It does not sell products directly; instead, it monetises its research through licensing arrangements with commercial partners and through the publication and translation of scientific findings that support its investigators' host institutions.

Name

Maurice Wilkins Centre

Legal name

Maurice Wilkins Centre

Website

https://mauricewilkinscentre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Maurice Wilkins Centre is a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence hosted by the University of Auckland, running national biomedical research programmes in cancer immunology, metabolic health, and infectious diseases and out-licensing proprietary drug candidates to international pharma partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research

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

Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Research & Trial Central Laboratories (HLAFAMAL), General Infectious Disease (HLAKAGAA)

Keywords

• Biomedical research
• Drug discovery
• Cancer immunotherapy
• Infectious disease research
• Metabolic disease research

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: Funded as one of New Zealand's Centres of Research Excellence (CoREs), established by the Government to underpin world-class research. Selected as one of six CoREs for funding from 2015 to 2020.
2. Health Research Council Grants: Major grants from Health Research Council of New Zealand supporting specific research programs in cancer, tuberculosis, and other diseases
3. Technology Licensing and Royalties: Intellectual property managed through Auckland UniServices Ltd, with licensing agreements to pharmaceutical companies for drug candidates
4. International Research Collaborations: Partnerships with international entities including TB Alliance, Cancer Research UK, and pharmaceutical companies provide research funding and development support

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Maurice Wilkins Centre is a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence that conducts biomedical research targeting serious human diseases. It operates as a national research network spanning cancer immunology, metabolic health (diabetes), and infectious diseases, developing drug candidates that are licensed to pharmaceutical companies for clinical development. The Centre also delivers postgraduate student support and biology teacher professional development programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Postgraduate Student Support
• Biology Teacher Professional Development Days
• Drug Candidate Licensing Programme

Named customers6 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

31 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, key, core and minor.

• Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2019Formal Memorandum of Cooperation to establish a joint research centre in Apia. MWC researchers will support Samoan scientists in biodiscovery research for anti-cancer and anti-biotic drugs from Samoan plants.
• Asian Chemical Biology Initiative (ACBI)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2012MWC serves as the 'shop window' for New Zealand in this initiative. Founding members are Japan, Korea and China; New Zealand, Singapore and UAE invited to join. Mission to accelerate Asian chemical biology research through international collaborations.
• University of AucklandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for the Maurice Wilkins Centre, providing facilities, infrastructure, and administrative support for the national CoRE.
• University of OtagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution contributing researchers to the national network, including investigators in biochemistry and medical research.
• University of CanterburycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution contributing to the national research network.
• Victoria University of WellingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution with investigators in chemistry and biodiscovery research.
• Massey UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution contributing to the national research network.
• University of WaikatocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution contributing to the national research network.
• Auckland University of Technology (AUT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution contributing to the national research network.
• Malaghan Institute of Medical ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey collaborating research institute specializing in immunology and medical research, contributing investigators and facilities.
• AgResearch Group, Bioeconomy Science InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating research organization contributing to the national network.
• Plant & Food Research GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating research organization contributing to the national network.
• The Cawthron InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating research organization contributing to the national network.
• The Moko FoundationstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to establish a regional research centre in Kaitaia, Muriwhenua region of Northland. Aligns with Vision Mātauranga principles and aims to directly involve Māori-led health delivery organisations in research plans.
• Ngati Porou OrangastrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerMāori health organization collaborating on health research initiatives.
• Scientific Research Organisation of SamoastrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support growth of Pacific capacity and capability in biomedical science.
• Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), Chinese Academy of ScienceskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with China's leading drug discovery institute for biomedical science collaboration at institute, region, and state level. Multiple delegations exchanged since 2012.
• Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerChina's top iPSC centre led by Professor Duanqing Pei. Long-standing relationship with workshops and training programs for MWC investigators.
• RIKEN Research Centre for Allergy & Immunology (RCAI)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese research institution with formal relationship established through joint immunology workshops.
• Chiba UniversitykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese university with formal collaboration through joint immunology workshops.
• Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research ProgrammekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese research program with formal collaborative relationship established.
• Proacta IncorporatedcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSan Diego-based biotechnology company licensing hypoxia-activated oncology drugs from MWC network for clinical development.
• Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerJapanese pharmaceutical company collaborating with Proacta for development and commercialization of PR509 and PR610 in Japan.
• Pathway Therapeutics Inc.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerUniversity spin-out company licensing PI3K inhibitor PWT33597 for cancer treatment, San Francisco-based with significant New Zealand shareholding.
• Centella Therapeutics Inc.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSubsidiary of Varian Medical Systems licensing CEN-209 for clinical development, partnered with Cancer Research UK.
• TB AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Alliance for TB Drug Development, non-profit selecting TBA-354 as drug candidate for clinical development.
• Cancer Research UK / Cancer Research TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Clinical Development Partnership scheme for development and clinical trials of CEN-209.
• Ruga IncminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPalo Alto-based biotechnology company licensing STF-31 glucose transporter inhibitor for preclinical testing.
• Threshold PharmaceuticalscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerNASDAQ-listed American bio-technology company collaborating on TH-4000 compound for Phase 2 clinical trials.
• Auckland UniServices LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity commercialization company managing intellectual property and research-based consultancy for The University of Auckland.
• Biology Educators of Aotearoa New Zealand (BEANZ)strategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAssociation for biology teachers partnering with MWC for annual professional development program for high school biology teachers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV): Global Product Development Partnership focused on discovering and developing new antimalarial drugs. Comparable to TB Alliance (an MWC partner) in the PDP model — sharing the same not-for-profit, virtual drug development approach for neglected tropical diseases.

Broad incumbents

• Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre: Australia's leading dedicated cancer hospital and research centre, with substantial translational cancer immunology and drug discovery programmes. Comparable in cancer research intensity, though its model is more hospital-anchored than the multi-institutional CoRE model MWC uses.
• Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI): Australia's largest biomedical research organization with deep drug discovery programmes in cancer, infectious disease, and immunology. Like MWC, WEHI operates as a non-profit research institute producing clinical-stage candidates and licensing to pharma, but at a significantly larger scale and with a broader portfolio of internal drug discovery programmes.
• A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research): Singapore's national research agency hosting multiple biomedical research institutes with drug discovery, translational research, and clinical development capabilities. Comparable as a government-funded, multi-institute translational research network operating in the Asia-Pacific region.

Direct peers

• Centenary Institute: Sydney-based independent medical research institute with overlapping focus areas of infectious disease/immunology and cancer biology. Comparable translational research model, though at smaller scale, and historically affiliated with the University of Sydney.
• Riddet Institute: One of New Zealand's other Centres of Research Excellence (CoRE), hosted by Massey University. Direct structural peer — same CoRE funding model, same national multi-institutional network approach, but focused on food and nutrition science rather than biomedicine.
• Garvan Institute of Medical Research: Australian non-profit medical research institute focused on cancer, immunology, genomics, and metabolic disease. Highly comparable to MWC in therapeutic focus, non-profit structure, hospital affiliation (St Vincent's), and translational drug discovery approach via spin-outs and licensing.
• Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute: Australian non-profit medical research institute focused specifically on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic disorders — a direct parallel to MWC's metabolic health programme. Similar model of combining basic research with clinical translation and commercialization through licensing.
• Malaghan Institute of Medical Research: New Zealand's leading immunology and cancer research institute, already a core MWC partner. It focuses on immunotherapy, cancer vaccines, and infectious disease — directly overlapping with MWC's cancer immunology and infectious disease programmes. Closest direct peer within New Zealand.

Regional players

• Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM): Chinese Academy of Sciences drug discovery institute that is already an MWC strategic partner. Focused on small-molecule drug discovery and pharmacology — directly comparable in drug discovery capabilities but operating at much larger scale and within China's domestic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MWC_CoRE
• Facebookfacebook.com/MauriceWilkinsCentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maurice-wilkins-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maurice Wilkins Centre