QIMR Berghofer
QIMR Berghofer is a Brisbane-based, government-owned medical research institute with 1,000+ scientists conducting translational research across cancer, infection, brain and mental health, and population health, with commercial operations in GMP cell therapy manufacturing (Q-Gen) and drug discovery platform licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersBrisbane, Australia
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What QIMR Berghofer does
QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute is a statutory, government-owned medical research institute headquartered at 300 Herston Road, Brisbane, Australia, established in 1945 under the Queensland Institute of Medical Research Act 1945. It operates with over 1,000 scientists, staff, and students organized into four research programs: Cancer Research, Infection and Inflammation, Brain and Mental Health, and Population Health. The institute conducts translational research across hundreds of diseases and conditions, supported by access to exceptionally large genetic and clinical datasets, including genome-wide association studies of nearly 700,000 participants.
The institute's commercial and technology footprint centers on Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics, a wholly-owned TGA-licensed GMP cell therapy contract manufacturing subsidiary with 12 Grade B/ISO 7 cleanrooms, 3 Grade D cleanrooms, and 25+ years of operational experience. Q-Gen offers end-to-end process development, technology transfer, clinical trial production (preclinical through Phase III), and quality control laboratory services. The institute additionally develops and out-licenses proprietary drug discovery platforms — notably the first-in-class SETDB1-targeted epigenetic platform licensed to Kazia Therapeutics — and conducts foundational research underpinning approved therapeutics such as NIKYTIMO (axatilimab), a TGA-approved CSF-1R antibody for chronic graft-versus-host disease commercialized in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore by Specialised Therapeutics under exclusive partnership with Incyte.
QIMR Berghofer's revenue model is hybrid and non-profit in structure. Income derives from government and charitable grants (notably NHMRC and Cancer Council funding), individual and corporate donations, contract research collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract manufacturing fees through Q-Gen, and technology licensing royalties. The institute serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology enterprise clients (e.g., Kazia, Alloplex, Specialised Therapeutics) at the commercial level, while engaging patients, clinical trial participants, and the broader public through research studies, registries, education programs, and fundraising channels. AI capabilities are applied rather than foundational, including AI-integrated epigenetic drug discovery and an AI pathology screening tool for cancer detection in tissue samples.
QIMR Berghofer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- QIMR Berghofer
- Legal name
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- Website
- https://qimrb.edu.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- QIMR Berghofer is a Brisbane-based, government-owned medical research institute with 1,000+ scientists conducting translational research across cancer, infection, brain and mental health, and population health, with commercial operations in GMP cell therapy manufacturing (Q-Gen) and drug discovery platform licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
QIMR Berghofer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biomedical Research Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR) (HLAGADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Molecular Diagnostics (PCR/qPCR, NGS-based assays) (HLAAALAA), Immunology & Autoimmune Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAB)
Keywords
Where QIMR Berghofer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brisbane
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
QIMR Berghofer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Contract Manufacturing Services: Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics provides GMP cell therapy manufacturing services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Revenue generated from process development, technology transfer, clinical trial production, and quality control services.
- Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary drug development platforms and intellectual property to pharmaceutical companies. Example: SETDB1 platform licensed to Kazia Therapeutics for approximately $1.39 million upfront plus tiered revenue sharing.
- Research Grants and Funding: Government and charitable funding including National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants, cancer council funding, and donations from supporters.
- Collaborative Research: Contract research arrangements with pharmaceutical partners including Specialised Therapeutics (NIKYTIMO commercialization), Alloplex Biotherapeutics, and others.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
QIMR Berghofer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
QIMR Berghofer is a medical research institute conducting translational research across cancer, infectious diseases, brain and mental health, and population health. Its commercial arm, Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics, provides GMP-compliant contract manufacturing of cell therapies from pre-clinical through Phase III clinical trials. The institute also licenses proprietary drug discovery platforms (e.g., SETDB1 epigenetic platform) to pharmaceutical companies and operates patient registries and research tools.
Product overview
QIMR Berghofer is a world-leading medical research institute with over 1000 scientists conducting research across cancer, infection and inflammation, brain and mental health, and population health. The institute's commercial arm is primarily centered on Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics, Australia's leading cell therapy contract manufacturer offering GMP-compliant manufacturing services through its purpose-built facility. The institute also develops and licenses drug discovery platforms (such as the SETDB1 epigenetic platform licensed to Kazia Therapeutics) and maintains research infrastructure including patient registries like the Australian Haemochromatosis Registry. Additionally, the institute provides online tools including a melanoma risk calculator and is developing AI-powered diagnostic tools for pathology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 74% overall response rate in pivotal AGAVE-201 trial for NIKYTIMO in chronic graft-versus-host disease
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use QIMR Berghofer
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
QIMR Berghofer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
QIMR Berghofer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- CTMC (Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center)coreStrategic partnership through CTMC Global Network Alliance to strengthen international collaboration in cell and gene therapy research, translation, workforce development, and advanced manufacturing. Combines QIMR Berghofer's Q-Gen facility and translational research capabilities with CTMC's cell therapy development, manufacturing, and regulatory strategy expertise. Supports NextGen, Australia's Centre for Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing to strengthen Australia's sovereign capability in advanced therapeutics.
- Kazia TherapeuticscoreLicensed drug development platform from QIMR Berghofer for approximately $1.39 million to strengthen Kazia's oncology platform capabilities alongside existing paxalisib program and PD-L1 platform.
- Kazia TherapeuticscoreLicensed first-in-class SETDB1-targeted epigenetic drug development platform including lead candidate MSETC. Transaction involved upfront payment of approximately $1.39 million plus tiered revenue-sharing structure with no clinical or regulatory milestone obligations. Platform designed to restore immune signaling in tumors resistant to immunotherapy.
- Ibnova TherapeuticsmajorNew biotech company launched through Australian-Danish research partnership between Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), QIMR Berghofer, and Danish institutions backed by BioInnovation Institute and Novo Nordisk Foundation. Aims to accelerate stem cell-based treatments for heart disease with plans for human clinical trials within 3-5 years. QIMR Berghofer Professor James Hudson contributes research on lab-grown human heart muscle that restores heart function after heart attacks in animal models.
- Specialised TherapeuticscoreExclusive partnership with Incyte to commercialise NIKTIMVO (axatilimab) in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Specialised Therapeutics pursuing PBS reimbursement. NIKTIMVO is first-in-class colony stimulating factor-1 receptor-blocking antibody approved for chronic graft-versus-host disease with 74% overall response rate in pivotal trial. Australian-led research from QIMR Berghofer played foundational role in drug discovery.
- King's College LondonmajorCollaborative research partnership identifying 74 genomic locations linked to anxiety symptoms (39 newly discovered) in study of nearly 700,000 people of European ancestry. Published in Nature Human Behaviour. Largest genome-wide association study on anxiety to date.
- Alloplex BiotherapeuticscoreQ-Gen partnered with Alloplex to develop cellular therapy to treat cancer where activated cells target tumours with no harm inflicted on normal tissue. Alloplex CEO cited Q-Gen's expertise, GMP manufacturing capability, and regulatory approval status.
- TFBS BiosciencemajorQIMR Berghofer and TFBS Bioscience signed MOU to advance cell and gene therapies. Collaboration aims to strengthen capabilities in cellular immunotherapy technology development.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
QIMR Berghofer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Lonza Cell & Gene Technologies: Global leader in cell and gene therapy contract manufacturing with multiple facilities worldwide. Direct competitor to Q-Gen for GMP cell therapy manufacturing services, representing the dominant global CDMO that QIMR Berghofer benchmarks against.
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre: Australia's largest dedicated cancer hospital and research center combining clinical treatment with laboratory research. Comparable to QIMR Berghofer's cancer research program and translational drug discovery efforts, with broader clinical service delivery.
- WuXi Advanced Therapies Unit: Major global cell and gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization. Comparable to Q-Gen for cell therapy manufacturing services as a direct global competitor with broader service portfolio and geographic scale.
Direct peers
- Centenary Institute: Sydney-based non-profit medical research institute focused on cancer, immunology, and infectious diseases. Comparable as an Australian non-profit medical research institute operating translational programs of similar scope.
- Francis Crick Institute: One of Europe's largest biomedical research institutes with 1000+ scientists across multiple disease programs. Comparable to QIMR Berghofer in scale, translational mission, and discovery-to-commercial pipeline, providing a benchmark for advanced research institute operations.
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute: Australian medical research institute with disease-focused translational programs and a similar not-for-profit, grant-funded operating model. Comparable in mission scope, public-affiliation status, and clinical-translational research structure.
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research: Sydney-based medical research institute with significant genomics, cancer, and immunology focus. Directly comparable to QIMR Berghofer in translational research mission, genomic dataset scale, and government-affiliated non-profit status.
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI): Australia's largest medical research institute based in Melbourne with a similar four-program research structure and deep commercialization arm (WEHI spinouts). Directly comparable in scale (1000+ staff), not-for-profit status, and breadth covering cancer, immunology, and infectious diseases.
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI): Australia's largest child health research institute and explicit QIMR Berghofer partner via the Ibnova Therapeutics launch. Comparable as an Australian medical research institute pursuing co-development partnerships and translational commercialization.
Emerging players
- KBI Biopharma: Contract development and manufacturing organization with growing cell therapy capabilities. Comparable to Q-Gen in offering GMP cell therapy manufacturing and process development services for biotech sponsors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
QIMR Berghofer social profiles
Digital presenceQIMR Berghofer compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
QIMR Berghofer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
QIMR Berghofer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
QIMR Berghofer subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
QIMR Berghofer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
QIMR Berghofer M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about QIMR Berghofer
What does QIMR Berghofer do?
QIMR Berghofer is a medical research institute conducting translational research across cancer, infectious diseases, brain and mental health, and population health. Its commercial arm, Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics, provides GMP-compliant contract manufacturing of cell therapies from pre-clinical through Phase III clinical trials. The institute also licenses proprietary drug discovery platforms (e.g., SETDB1 epigenetic platform) to pharmaceutical companies and operates patient registries and research tools.
Is QIMR Berghofer a public or private company?
QIMR Berghofer is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was QIMR Berghofer founded?
QIMR Berghofer was founded in 1945. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is QIMR Berghofer based?
QIMR Berghofer is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does QIMR Berghofer make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Contract Manufacturing Services are the primary driver. The others are technology Licensing, research Grants and Funding and collaborative Research.
Who are QIMR Berghofer's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Lonza Cell & Gene Technologies, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and WuXi Advanced Therapies Unit. Direct peers are Centenary Institute, Francis Crick Institute, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) and Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI). KBI Biopharma is listed as an emerging player.
Does QIMR Berghofer have an API?
No public API is recorded for QIMR Berghofer.
What industry is QIMR Berghofer in?
QIMR Berghofer's product category is Biomedical Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGADAF, Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR), with a secondary code of HLAAALAA, Molecular Diagnostics (PCR/qPCR, NGS-based assays). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.