IMBcom’s role is to partner with the IMB by identifying, assessing, protecting, developing and commercialising the Intellectual Property which arises from research outcomes. Since its inception IMBcom staff have worked in close consultation with researchers in protecting and commercialising the outcomes of their research. 

IMBcom’s success is due to the entrepreneurial environment created within the Institute, where researchers are actively encouraged to develop and commercialise intellectual property. Researchers support the commercialisation of research outcomes and work with IMBcom staff to assist in the achievement of commercial milestones.

Spin-outs

Whilst the business models used for commercialisation vary according to the research outcomes, the spin out model has successfully been utilised to create 11 companies since 2000. These companies include:

Xenome – Involved in the drug discovery and development of novel peptides from animal venoms. website

Promics – Involved in the drug discovery and development of C5a antagonist drugs leads for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory disease.  website

Protagonist – Utilising a platform technology for the discovery and development of small-molecule drug candidates that mimic or inhibit protein-protein interactions in a number of therapeutic areas. website

Nanomics Biosystems – Focused on the commercialization of a platform technology based on the bar-coding of beads with unique optical signatures for developing combinatorial libraries.

Mimetica - Involved in the development of a chemical platform technology for creating drug candidates from the known structure of natural peptides.   website

Kalthera – A platform technology that provides a means to combine the potency and specificity of a peptide with the potential to gain the stability and bioavailability of a small molecule.

Cyclagen – Developing novel crop protection technology using naturally occurring peptides.

Nephrogenix - Developing cell based therapies for kidney disease. website

Betabiotics - Focusing on identifying and developing small organic molecules that have the potential to address bacterial resistance.

ElaCor – Discovery and development of novel peptides derived from snake venom for the treatment of congestive heart failure and related conditions.

For further details refer to Spin-out and start-ups.