IOZK

What IOZK does

IOZK (Immun-Onkologisches Zentrum Köln) is a privately held German medical company (IOZK AG) founded in 1985 by Dr. Wilfried Stücker, operating a single 2,300 sqm cancer immunotherapy treatment center in Cologne. The company develops and administers a personalized, multimodal immunotherapy for cancer patients built on three integrated pillars: the IOZK Immuntherapie platform, the patient-specific IO-VAC® tumor vaccine, and on-site GMP-certified laboratories that combine immunological diagnostics with liquid biopsy (ctDNA) for treatment planning and monitoring. The IO-VAC® vaccine uses the patient's own dendritic cells, tumor antigens, and oncolytic viruses (Newcastle Disease Virus) to activate the immune system against tumor cells. The service is applied across various solid tumors and pediatric cancers including glioblastoma and DIPG.

IOZK generates revenue by providing individualized immunotherapy treatment services and diagnostic laboratory services directly to patients who travel to its Cologne facility, with payment handled through private health insurance, occupational accident insurance, or self-pay. Treatment protocols are multi-year and tailored to each patient, with reimbursement dependent on individual contract conditions. The leadership team comprises Executive Board members Dr. Wilfried Stücker (Chairman), Dr. Katharina Sprenger, Stefaan van Gool (MD PhD, Medical Director of Translational Oncology), and Arnd Slegers, with Dr. Ralf Dreher as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. The scientific backbone is anchored by Prof. Dr. Volker Schirrmacher (Scientific Director of Tumor Immunology, ~400 publications, formerly of DKFZ Heidelberg) and Stefaan van Gool (~200 publications, former KU Leuven professor). The IOZK Foundation, established in 2019 as a separate non-profit, supports research translation and international collaboration. Distribution is direct-to-consumer (patient referral and travel-based), with no disclosed institutional customers, no external investors, and no public revenue figures.

Name

IOZK

Legal name

IOZK AG

Website

https://iozk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IOZK is a private Cologne-based cancer treatment center that develops and administers personalized dendritic cell immunotherapy, including the IO-VAC® tumor vaccine, for adult and pediatric cancer patients traveling from around the world.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cancer Immunotherapy Treatment Services: IOZK generates revenue through providing personalized immunotherapy treatment services to cancer patients. Treatment costs are partially covered by some private health insurance companies and occupational accident insurance associations depending on individual contract conditions.
2. Diagnostic Laboratory Services: On-site diagnostic laboratory providing immunological diagnostics and liquid biopsy testing as part of treatment planning and monitoring

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IOZK is a Cologne-based medical center that develops and delivers individualized cancer immunotherapy, headlined by the proprietary IO-VAC® patient-specific tumor vaccine, which combines the patient's dendritic cells, defined tumor antigens, and the oncolytic Newcastle Disease Virus. The center offers multimodal immunotherapy protocols, immunological diagnostics, liquid biopsy monitoring (including duplex sequencing), and therapeutic hyperthermia, supported by on-site GMP-certified vaccine manufacturing under Section 4b of the German Medicines Act.

Product overview

IOZK operates a comprehensive cancer immunotherapy system consisting of three integrated components: (1) IOZK Immuntherapie – the core personalized multimodal immunotherapy platform that activates the patient's immune system against cancer; (2) IO-VAC® Impfstoff – the patient-specific dendritic cell-based tumor vaccine manufactured in-house using the patient's own dendritic cells, tumor antigens, and oncolytic viruses (NDV); and (3) IOZK Laboratorien – the integrated diagnostic and manufacturing facilities providing immunological diagnostics, liquid biopsy analysis, and GMP-grade vaccine production. The treatment center in Cologne (2,300 sqm) serves patients internationally with individualized cancer immunotherapy protocols. The portfolio also includes therapeutic hyperthermia as a complementary treatment modality. IOZK Foundation was established in 2019 to optimize anti-cancer immunotherapy approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IO-VAC®: Patient-specific tumor vaccine (IOZK tumor vaccine) that activates the patient's immune system using dendritic cells, tumor antigens, and oncolytic viruses.
• IOZK Consilium
• IOZK Immuntherapie

Products and services

• IOZK Immunotherapy (IOZK Immuntherapie) Individualized, multimodal cancer immunotherapy delivered at the IOZK treatment center in Cologne, integrating dendritic cell vaccination, tumor-antigen-specific vaccination, oncolytic virus therapy, and immunological diagnostics. Provided to cancer patients under Section 4b of the German Medicines Act.
• IO-VAC® Tumor Vaccine (IO-VAC Impfstoff) Patient-specific autologous tumor vaccine combining the patient's own dendritic cells, defined tumor antigens, and the oncolytic Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), produced under IOZK's GMP manufacturing authorization. Indicated for patients with a wide range of solid tumor types.
• Immunological Diagnostics (Immunologische Diagnostik) Comprehensive immunological diagnostic workup performed at IOZK's in-house laboratory to support personalized treatment planning and immune-monitoring for cancer patients.
• Liquid Biopsy (Flüssigbiopsie) Blood-based molecular diagnostics used to detect circulating tumor DNA and monitor disease course and therapy response, with duplex sequencing for high-sensitivity variant detection.
• Therapeutic Hyperthermia (Therapeutische Hyperthermie) Whole-body and/or local hyperthermia treatment offered as a complementary modality alongside IOZK's immunotherapy protocols.

Quantifiable outcome

• Good tolerability demonstrated in DIPG analysis
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International PartnersminorOthersThe IOZK Foundation brochure mentions 'International Partners' as part of the IOZK expert group network, indicating collaboration with international medical and research institutions for knowledge exchange and potential referrals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BioNTech: Germany-headquartered leader in individualized mRNA cancer vaccines (notably BNT122 with Roche/Genentech), competing in the personalized cancer immunotherapy space from a much larger, publicly funded scale.
• Moderna: Develops personalized mRNA cancer vaccines (e.g., mRNA-4157 with Merck) using a different modality but targeting the same personalized cancer immunotherapy opportunity as IOZK.

Direct peers

• Sotio Biotech: Clinical-stage biotech developing dendritic cell-based immunotherapies (e.g., SOT101, DCVAC) for solid tumors, directly comparable to IOZK's autologous dendritic cell vaccine strategy.
• Northwest Biotherapeutics: Develops DCVax, a dendritic cell-based personalized cancer vaccine, making it the closest direct competitor to IOZK's IO-VAC platform in modality, manufacturing approach, and target indications.

Others

• Guardant Health: Liquid biopsy company offering ctDNA-based cancer monitoring tests; comparable to IOZK's liquid biopsy diagnostic service line, though Guardant operates at much larger commercial scale.
• Personalis: Personalized cancer genomics and immune profiling company (e.g., ImmunoID, NeXT Personal), adjacent to IOZK's immunological diagnostics and personalized treatment planning capabilities.

Emerging players

• Immatics: Clinical-stage company developing TCR-based and personalized adoptive cell therapies for solid tumors, overlapping with IOZK in the personalized immuno-oncology category but using T-cell receptor biology rather than dendritic cells.
• Cellectis: Clinical-stage cell and gene therapy company developing allogeneic CAR-T and gene-edited immunotherapies, adjacent to IOZK in the autologous cell therapy oncology category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@iozkimmunotherapy1043
• Facebookfacebook.com/IOZKImmunotherapy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iozk
• Instagraminstagram.com/iozk_immunotherapy
• TikToktiktok.com/@iozk_immunotherapy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IOZK