What Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines does

The Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines is a nonprofit translational drug discovery institute and division of The Scripps Research Institute, founded in 2012 by Peter Schultz and headquartered at 11119 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, California. The institute operates an integrated "bench to bedside" drug discovery engine that combines high-throughput screening, protein engineering, medicinal and peptide chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical development to advance therapeutic candidates from initial discovery through first-in-human clinical trials. With approximately 145 employees, Calibr-Skaggs has advanced more than 10 programs into clinical development—an output described as unprecedented for a nonprofit research organization.

The institute's core technology portfolio comprises five proprietary platforms: the ReFRAME Drug Repurposing Library (~12,000 approved or clinically tested compounds, the largest open-source collection of its kind, with six identifications already advanced to clinical trials); a DNA-Encoded Library of billions of compounds for one-pot screening against difficult targets; a Long-Acting Drug Platform spanning depot injectables, prodrug formulations, peptide stapling, and antibody fusions that has yielded four clinical-stage programs; a Cell-Based Screening Platform with imaging-based and phenotypic screens coupled with genomics- and proteomics-driven target identification; and the Switchable CAR-T (sCAR-T) Platform, a controllable universal cell therapy with antibody-based switches targeting multiple tumor antigens and granted FDA Fast Track designation. Clinical programs span oncology (CLBR001+SWI019 with AbbVie, trispecific antibodies, CDK2 inhibitors, ADCs, YAP inhibitors, STING agonist CMR215), regenerative medicine (CLF065 GLP-2 for IBD, CMR316 for IPF, KA34 for osteoarthritis, heart and corneal regeneration), neurology (PDM608 for Parkinson's/Alzheimer's), and global health infectious diseases (long-acting HIV with Gilead, once-every-2-month malaria injectable with Medicines for Malaria Venture, tuberculosis CLB073 with Gates MRI, Mpro inhibitor for COVID-19).

Calibr-Skaggs operates on a self-sustaining, evergreen funding model that combines pharmaceutical licensing and partnership revenue (Merck, AbbVie, Gilead, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Kainomyx, ArkBio, Frequency Therapeutics, HitGen), federal grants (NIH), and philanthropic foundation support (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates Medical Research Institute, ALSAM Foundation/Skaggs family, Conrad Prebys Foundation, Wellcome Trust, CIRM, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, Bachrach Family Foundation, Curebound, John C. Martin Foundation). The institute reinvests revenues into advancing additional programs, creating a continuous pipeline rather than a traditional commercial sales model. It was renamed in 2023 to honor transformational support from the Skaggs family through the ALSAM Foundation, and its primary "customers" are pharmaceutical partners that license candidates for clinical development and commercialization, alongside mission-aligned foundations and government agencies that fund disease-specific research programs.

Name

Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines

Legal name

The Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines

Website

https://calibr.scripps.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nonprofit translational drug discovery institute and division of Scripps Research advancing therapeutic candidates from discovery through clinical trials across oncology, regenerative medicine, neurology, and global health, via proprietary platforms including ReFRAME, DEL, sCAR-T, and long-acting injectables, funded by pharma and foundation partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drug Discovery & Translational Research

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Translational Medicine & Biomarkers (HLAIALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Target Identification & Validation Platforms (omics-driven, chemoproteomics, genetic validation) (HLAAAIAI), Therapeutic Peptides & Protein/Peptide Biologics (HLAAAAAH)

Keywords

• Translational drug discovery
• Nonprofit research institute
• Clinical development services
• Therapeutic platform licensing
• Biopharmaceutical R&D

Headquarters

HQ city

La Jolla

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, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Licensing and Partnership Revenue: Revenue generated from licensing therapeutic candidates and programs to pharmaceutical partners for further development and commercialization. Partnerships include co-development agreements and option/license deals.
2. Philanthropic and Foundation Grants: Funding from nonprofit foundations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ALSAM Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and others to support research in specific disease areas such as global health, neglected diseases, and cancer.
3. Government and NIH Funding: Federal funding from NIH and other government agencies for pandemic preparedness, antiviral medicines, and disease-specific research programs.
4. Reinvestment Model: Self-sustaining, evergreen funding model where revenues are reinvested into advancing additional therapeutic programs, creating a continuous pipeline of drug discovery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Calibr-Skaggs is a nonprofit translational research institute that discovers and advances new therapeutics from early-stage screening through first-in-human clinical trials across oncology, regenerative medicine, neurology, infectious disease, and inflammatory/metabolic disease. Its deliverables are preclinical and clinical-stage drug candidates, which it licenses or co-develops with pharmaceutical, biotech, foundation, and government partners rather than commercializing directly. The institute pairs medicinal chemistry, high-throughput screening, protein engineering, and pharmacology with proprietary platforms such as Switchable CAR-T, ReFRAME, DNA-Encoded Libraries, and Long-Acting Drug technologies.

Product overview

Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines is a nonprofit translational research division of Scripps Research operating as a drug discovery engine with multiple integrated platforms and clinical programs. The core technology portfolio includes the Switchable CAR-T (sCAR-T) Platform for controllable cell therapy, the ReFRAME Drug Repurposing Library (~12,000 compounds) for identifying new drug indications, DNA-Encoded Library (DEL) for high-throughput small molecule screening, and the Long-Acting Drug Platform enabling depot injectables, prodrug formulations, peptide stapling, and antibody fusions. The clinical pipeline spans across multiple therapeutic areas: oncology programs including sCAR-T for B-cell lymphomas (Phase 1, partnered with AbbVie), CMR215 for bladder cancer (IND-enabling), Tri-specific Antibodies, YAP Inhibitors, CDK2 Inhibitors, and Antibody-Drug Conjugates; regenerative medicine programs including CLF065 for IBD (Phase 2), CMR316 for IPF (Phase 1), KA34 for osteoarthritis (Phase 1 completed), and heart/cornea regeneration therapies; neurological disease programs including PDM608 for Parkinson's/Alzheimer's (Phase 1); and global health programs including Mpro Inhibitor for COVID-19 (Phase 1), CLZ629 for HIV (clinical), CBE161 for malaria (clinical), CLB073 for tuberculosis (clinical). The institute advances therapies from discovery through clinical development using its integrated "bench to bedside" approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Switchable CAR-T (sCAR-T) Platform A controllable, universal cellular therapy platform featuring antibody-based switches targeted to multiple antigens on tumor cells, designed to deliver higher efficacy, safety, durability, and universality than traditional CAR-T. Licensed and co-developed with AbbVie for B-cell lymphomas, autoimmune disease, and solid tumor applications.
• ReFRAME Drug Repurposing Library The largest open-source collection of drugs that have been approved or undergone human safety testing (~12,000 and growing), used by researchers worldwide to identify and repurpose known drugs for new indications. Has yielded 6 drugs advanced to clinical trials.
• DNA-Encoded Library (DEL) Screening Custom DNA-encoded libraries containing billions of compounds, enabling one-pot screening against high-priority targets that are difficult to address using conventional small-molecule screening approaches.
• Long-Acting Drug Platform Technologies enhancing half-lives of small-molecule, peptide, and biologic therapies through depot injectables, prodrug formulations, peptide stapling, and antibody fusions. Has generated four clinical-stage programs including CLF065 for IBD, PDM608 for neurodegenerative disease, an HIV program, and a malaria program.
• Cell-Based and Phenotypic Screening Platform Optimized cell-based screening processes including imaging-based and phenotypic screens, with target identification supported by genomics and proteomics, used to discover novel hits across multiple therapeutic areas.
• Multivalent/Trispecific Antibody Platform Platform-based technologies for developing next-generation trispecific antibodies designed to improve potency and tolerability for solid tumors, including breast and lung cancer.
• CLBR001 + SWI019 (sCAR-T) Clinical Program Novel switchable chimeric antigen T-cell immunotherapy (sCAR-T) targeting CD19 for B-cell lymphomas; completed Phase 1 study in relapsed and refractory B-cell malignancies and advanced into autoimmune disease clinical testing. Partnered with AbbVie.
• CLF065 Clinical Program Long-acting fatty acid-stapled glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) biologic designed to regenerate the intestinal barrier in inflammatory bowel disease with infrequent dosing. Currently in Phase 2.
• CMR316 Clinical Program First-in-class small molecule that stimulates in situ lung stem cell self-renewal and tissue regeneration to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), COPD, and acute lung injury. Phase 1 trial initiated in early 2024.
• PDM608 Clinical Program Long-acting GM-CSF protein designed for less frequent dosing in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. First-in-human Phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers initiated July 2023.
• CBE161 (MMV371) Clinical Program Once-every-2-month intramuscular injectable small molecule to prevent seasonal malaria by improving compliance. Partnered with Medicines for Malaria Venture.
• CLB073 (TBD11) Clinical Program Novel small molecule derived from a ReFRAME synergy screen that enhances pretomanid + bedaquiline treatment for tuberculosis. Licensed to the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute.
• CLZ629 Clinical Program Long-acting antiretroviral prodrug for HIV using the long-acting injectable platform to reduce dosing frequency, in development as combination therapy.
• SARS-CoV-2 Mpro Inhibitor Clinical Program Small-molecule SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitor advanced to a Phase 1 trial, with next-generation molecules in development. Part of the NIH-funded Center for Antiviral Medicines and Pandemic Preparedness.
• KA34 Clinical Program First-in-class small-molecule stimulator of cartilage regeneration deemed safe and well-tolerated in a Phase 1 trial for osteoarthritis. Supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

Quantifiable outcome

• 10+ programs advanced to clinical development
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

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

• KainomyxminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026Collaboration launched in 2026 to pioneer novel malaria treatments.
• AbbViecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2024Expansion of option and license agreement with AbbVie to develop novel cell therapies for solid tumors and autoimmune diseases. Previous collaborations include COVID-19 antiviral treatments (2022) and next-generation T-cell therapies (2018).
• Gilead SciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 January 2024License agreement with Gilead to develop a long-acting HIV antiviral agent for treatment in combination with lenacapavir.
• Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 February 2023Licensing agreement for novel candidate tuberculosis treatment compound (CLB073/TBD11) derived from ReFRAME synergy screen that enhances pretomanid + bedaquiline treatment for tuberculosis.
• Medicines for Malaria VenturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for development of CBE161 (MMV371), a once-every-2-month intramuscular injectable to prevent seasonal malaria by improving compliance.
• ArkBiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner for CBK323 program targeting inflammation in COPD and ARDS.
• PfizerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner for various drug discovery collaborations.
• Bristol-Myers SquibbminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner for drug discovery collaborations.
• Gilead SciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner with active licensing agreement for long-acting HIV antiviral development.
• Frequency TherapeuticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner for hearing loss and regenerative medicine research.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TB Alliance: Nonprofit dedicated to developing affordable TB regimens; Calibr-Skaggs' CLB073/TBD11 program with Gates MRI mirrors TB Alliance's mission and partnership model.
• Allen Institute: Philanthropically funded nonprofit running large-scale, platform-based biomedical research with open-science outputs, similar in operating model and self-sustaining nonprofit funding logic to Calibr-Skaggs.
• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: Nonprofit biomedical research institute running a translational genomics, chemical biology, and cell therapy platform — directly analogous to Calibr-Skaggs in operating model, disease-area breadth, and partnership-heavy funding structure.
• Wistar Institute: Nonprofit biomedical research institute focused on infectious disease, immunology, and oncology with active industry partnerships — closely parallels Calibr-Skaggs' global-health and oncology pipeline orientation.
• Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: Nonprofit research institute that combines basic cancer and neuroscience discovery with translational programs and industry collaborations — comparable to Calibr-Skaggs in scope and institutional model.
• Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV): Nonprofit product development partnership advancing antimalarial therapies; Calibr-Skaggs' CBE161 (MMV371) is partnered with MMV, making it a directly comparable nonprofit drug-discovery peer.
• The Jackson Laboratory: Nonprofit biomedical research organization with proprietary genomic and preclinical platforms that translate into partnered therapeutic programs — closely comparable to Calibr-Skaggs in mission and platform-driven revenue mix.
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI): Largest US private biomedical research organization with investigator-driven basic and translational science, similar to Calibr-Skaggs as a nonprofit funding engine that bridges fundamental research and therapeutic development.
• Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi): Nonprofit drug discovery and development organization focused on neglected diseases, funded by foundations and governments — directly comparable to Calibr-Skaggs' ReFRAME-derived TB, malaria, and Chagas programs.

Broad incumbents

• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals: For-profit biotech with proprietary antibody, bispecific, and siRNA platforms — broader commercial incumbent whose platform-driven discovery model mirrors Calibr-Skaggs' technology strategy, but at much larger commercial scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scrippsresearch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ScrippsResearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/ScrippsResearchInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calibr-skaggs
• Instagraminstagram.com/scrippsresearch
• TikToktiktok.com/@scrippsresearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines