IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine

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.

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

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 industry

PRIMARYHLAAAIAB

Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Biotechnology & Biologics/Biologic Drug Discovery Platforms (screening, antibody engineering, synthetic biology)

SECONDARYHLAGADAA

Bioanalytical Testing (PK/ADA/NAb)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Laboratory Testing & Analytical Services

Keywords

• Biomedical research institute
• Antibody discovery platform
• Immunology research services
• Core research facilities
• PhD training program

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellinzona

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Grants: Competitive research funding from Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), European Research Council (ERC) grants including Advanced Grants, and other scientific funding bodies
2. 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
3. Licensing Royalties: Technology transfer revenues from licensed antibodies and discoveries to pharmaceutical partners

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Rockefeller UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2023Strategic 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+)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023IRB 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020European 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020European 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020International network of researchers working on antiviral research. IRB collaborates with UWARN researchers in the United States and other countries.
• Swiss Vaccine Research Institute (SVRI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008IRB 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

Regional 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

• Xx.com/BellinzonaIrb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-research-in-biomedicine

Compliance2 records

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 IRB | Institute for Research in Biomedicine