IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) is a Swiss non-profit research foundation in Bellinzona running 13 research groups focused on immunology, antibody discovery, DNA repair, and rare diseases, with a two-decade antibody platform that has produced clinically approved monoclonal antibodies (Sotrovimab, Ansuvimab).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersBellinzona, Switzerland
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine does
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) is a private, non-profit research foundation established in 2000 and headquartered in Bellinzona, Switzerland, affiliated with Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI). It operates 13 research groups and employs more than 180 staff across the disciplines of human immunology, host defense mechanisms, antibody discovery and engineering, DNA repair, rare diseases, and structural and cell biology. IRB is a founding member of the Bellinzona Institutes of Science (Bios+) campus alongside the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), and has awarded more than 150 PhDs and accumulated over 1,000 scientific publications.
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine
- Legal name
- Foundation for the Institute for Research in Biomedicine
- Website
- https://irb.usi.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) is a Swiss non-profit research foundation in Bellinzona running 13 research groups focused on immunology, antibody discovery, DNA repair, and rare diseases, with a two-decade antibody platform that has produced clinically approved monoclonal antibodies (Sotrovimab, Ansuvimab).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biomedical Research Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering) (HLAAAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bioanalytical Testing (PK/ADA/NAb) (HLAGADAA)
Keywords
Where IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bellinzona
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Research Grants: Competitive research funding from Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), European Research Council (ERC) grants including Advanced Grants, and other scientific funding bodies
- Philanthropy and Donations: Support from individuals, families, institutions and foundations including Helmut Horten Foundation, Leonardo Foundation, Gustav & Ruth Jacob Foundation, Henry Krenter Foundation, Comel Foundation, Ceschina Foundation
- Licensing Royalties: Technology transfer revenues from licensed antibodies and discoveries to pharmaceutical partners
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IRB is a nonprofit biomedical research foundation that conducts fundamental and translational immunology research through 13 research groups, anchored by a 20+ year Antibody Discovery and Engineering Program that has produced clinically approved monoclonal antibodies (Sotrovimab, Ansuvimab) and bispecific candidates such as CoV-X4042. It operates shared core facilities (cryo-EM, flow cytometry, mass spectrometry, bioinformatics, protein production) and delivers an International PhD Program in Immunology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry in collaboration with Swiss and foreign universities.
Product overview
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) is a biomedical research institute, not a commercial product company. Its offerings consist of research programs, core facilities infrastructure, and training programs. The main research platform is the Antibody Discovery and Engineering Program spanning two decades, which contributes to monoclonal antibody technologies against infectious diseases. IRB operates 13 research groups focusing on immunology, DNA repair, rare diseases, structural and cell biology, supported by core facilities infrastructure (Bioinformatics, Electron Microscopy, Flow Cytometry, Mass Spectrometry, etc.) and PhD training programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- IRB-Rockefeller Partnership: Strategic collaboration for infectious disease research between IRB and The Rockefeller University, including an infectious disease seminar series.
- Antibody Discovery and Engineering Program
Products and services
- Antibody Discovery and Engineering Program A research program spanning over 20 years that develops monoclonal antibodies against infectious diseases (coronavirus, flavivirus, RSV, paramyxovirus, influenza, rabies, parainfluenza, malaria) and applies computational antibody engineering to improve efficacy. Outputs are licensed to pharmaceutical and biotech partners for clinical development and commercialization.
- Core Facilities Shared research infrastructure services including Bioinformatics, Comparative Biology, Electron Microscopy, Flow Cytometry, Mass Spectrometry, Microscopy, Protein Production, Animal Welfare, Biosafety, Data Protection, Grant Office, Scientific Support, Technical Support, and IT Support. Used by IRB research groups and academic collaborators.
- International PhD Program in Immunology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry Graduate training program offering PhD degrees in immunology, cell biology, and biochemistry, plus undergraduate/master's thesis supervision, in collaboration with Swiss and foreign universities. More than 150 PhD degrees have been awarded to date.
Quantifiable outcome
- CoV-X4042 - bispecific antibody effective against all SARS-CoV-2 variants
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Rockefeller UniversityflagshipStrategic collaboration for infectious disease research spanning basic, translational, and early clinical research. The partnership supports innovative research on existing and emerging infectious diseases of global importance. IRB hosts an infectious disease seminar series with Rockefeller experts. Prof. Charles M. Rice, a Nobel laureate, serves on IRB's Scientific Advisory Board and directs Rockefeller's SNF Institute for Global Infectious Disease Research.
- Bellinzona Institutes of Science (Bios+)coreIRB is part of the Bios+ campus alongside the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR) and other research institutions. Shared facilities and seminar spaces enable cross-institutional collaboration.
- Antibody Therapy Against Coronavirus (ATAC)coreEuropean consortium focused on antibody therapy development against coronavirus. IRB contributes its antibody discovery and engineering expertise to this collaborative effort.
- Integrated Services for Infectious Disease Outbreak Research (ISIDORe)coreEuropean research infrastructure providing integrated services for infectious disease outbreak research. IRB participates with its antibody discovery platform and research capabilities.
- United World Antiviral Research Network (UWARN)coreInternational network of researchers working on antiviral research. IRB collaborates with UWARN researchers in the United States and other countries.
- Swiss Vaccine Research Institute (SVRI)coreIRB directs the antibody discovery platform of the Swiss Vaccine Research Institute since 2008. This collaboration focuses on vaccine development and antibody discovery for infectious diseases.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research: Mid-sized non-profit biomedical research institute focused on immunology, genomics and rare diseases. Similar foundation structure but serves the Asia-Pacific rather than European research market.
Direct peers
- The Rockefeller University: Flagship infectious-disease research partner and comparator immunology institute. Operating model, basic-to-translational research focus and Nobel-adjacent scientific culture align closely with IRB.
- Institut Pasteur: Large European non-profit research foundation with deep programs in infectious disease, immunology and vaccine/antibody science. Comparable as a foundation-structured biomedical research entity with government + philanthropic funding.
- Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology and Epigenetics: European basic-research institute focused on immune system and epigenetics with comparable academic grant model. Functionally aligned to IRB on immunology research scope and international PhD training.
- The Scripps Research Institute: Major non-profit biomedical research organization with renowned immunology and antibody discovery programs. Comparable to IRB on antibody platform development and academic-industry licensing of therapeutic antibodies.
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology: Non-profit immunology research institute in California operating on a comparable scale (~200+ scientists), with similar focus on infectious disease, antibody biology and immune mechanisms. Most directly comparable to IRB in mission, size and non-profit funding model.
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research: Leading Australian non-profit immunology and infectious-disease research institute. Comparable size, mission and antibody/cell biology platforms supported by competitive grants and philanthropy.
Broad incumbents
- Broad Institute: Large-scale non-profit biomedical and genomics research organization. Overlapping capabilities in multi-omics, structural biology and antibody/therapeutic discovery, but at materially larger scale and broader scope than IRB.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Janelia Research Campus): US non-profit biomedical research organization supporting immunology-adjacent basic science at scale. Shares IRB's foundation/philanthropy funding model and core-facility-driven research culture, but operates much larger budgets and broader scientific scope.
Emerging players
- Institute for Protein Design (University of Washington): Academic protein-design unit pioneering AI-designed miniproteins and de novo binders. Comparable to IRB on computational/AI-driven antibody and protein engineering, but earlier-stage and embedded in a university rather than operating as an independent foundation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine social profiles
Digital presenceIRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine
What does IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine do?
IRB is a nonprofit biomedical research foundation that conducts fundamental and translational immunology research through 13 research groups, anchored by a 20+ year Antibody Discovery and Engineering Program that has produced clinically approved monoclonal antibodies (Sotrovimab, Ansuvimab) and bispecific candidates such as CoV-X4042. It operates shared core facilities (cryo-EM, flow cytometry, mass spectrometry, bioinformatics, protein production) and delivers an International PhD Program in Immunology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry in collaboration with Swiss and foreign universities.
Is IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine a public or private company?
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine founded?
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine was founded in 2000. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine based?
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine is headquartered in Bellinzona, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Research Grants are the primary driver. The others are philanthropy and Donations and licensing Royalties.
Who are IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine's main competitors?
Garvan Institute of Medical Research is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are The Rockefeller University, Institut Pasteur, Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology and Epigenetics, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla Institute for Immunology and Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Broad incumbents are Broad Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Janelia Research Campus). Institute for Protein Design (University of Washington) is listed as an emerging player.
Does IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine have an API?
No public API is recorded for IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine.
What industry is IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine in?
IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine's product category is Biomedical Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAAIAB, Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering), with a secondary code of HLAGADAA, Bioanalytical Testing (PK/ADA/NAb). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.