Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research

The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) is a global non-profit medical research institute that undertakes laboratory and clinical research into cancer, conducting and sponsoring its own early-phase clinical trials to investigate its discoveries.

Global Footprint
LICR is the largest international academic institute dedicated to understanding and controlling cancer, with ~900 staff in seven countries across Australasia, Europe, and North and South America. There are currently nine LICR research Branches, which have a primary focus on basic laboratory and translational (in vivo and preclinical analyses of laboratory discoveries) sciences and are typically located within a university or research institute:

There is currently one Centre for Clinical Sciences, which has a primary focus on clinical and translational sciences and is located within a hospital.
 * Brussels Branch of Human Cancer Cell Genetics
 * Lausanne Branch of Immunology
 * University College London Branch of Cell and Molecular Biology
 * Melbourne Branch of Tumour Biology
 * New York Branch of Human Cancer Immunology
 * San Diego Branch of Cancer Genetics
 * São Paulo Branch of Cancer Biology and Epidemiology
 * Stockholm Branch of Molecular and Cell Biology
 * Uppsala Branch of Growth Regulation


 * Melbourne Centre for Clinical Sciences

Leading laboratory and clinical researchers at many other Cancer Institutes and Universities around the world paricipate as 'LICR Affiliates. Affiliates are recruited specifically to complement and extend the expertise and technologies available within LICR, and are currently to be found in Brazil, China, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey and Ukraine.

Laboratory Research
The majority of LICR's laboratory research involves investigator-initiated projects in the Branches. The research can be categorized into four main disciplines: Genetics, Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Immunology.

LICR is one of twenty international organizations recognized as producing research articles of extremely high impact (Da Pozzo, F., Maye, I., Perriard, A.R., and von Ins, M. (2001) “List of the Worldwide Champions League of Research Institutions 1994 - 1999.” Center for Science and Technology Studies, Bern, Switzerland).

Clinical Research
LICR sponsors and conducts its own early-phase clinical trials in potential antibody-based and cancer vaccine therapies. The early-phase clinical trials primarily test safety, but samples are also analyzed for 'research' endpoints, such as a vaccine's ability to induce an anti-tumor immunological response in a patient. The knowledge gained is used to iteratively improve both the therapeutic approach and further laboratory research. The Institute has its own clinical trials management infrastructure to ensure that the trials are conducted safely, ethically and legally. LICR clinical trials are listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Programs
Many LICR investigators are also involved in Institute "Programs:" collaborative, multi-disciplinary 'super-groups' that leverage large-scale resources and technologies - internal and external - to collaboratively and strategically investigate and develop research findings with real patient application. Current Programs are Angiogenesis, Antibody Targeting, Cancer Vaccines, Clinical Genomics and Signaling (with sub-groups of 'TGF-beta' and 'EGFR Cascade').

Intellectual Property & Licensing
As of January 1, 2006, LICR was the non-profit organization holding the highest number of patented genes. The Institute's philosophy is that pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies will not undertake the large investment required to develop and market commercial cancer therapies without the expectation of a future financial return. Thus LICR ensures the possibility of developing its discoveries by actively protecting the intellectual property of its research discoveries. LICR has formal licensing arrangements (non-exclusive wherever possible) involving its intellectual property with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in Australia, Europe, Japan, and USA.

Founder
The organisation was established in 1971 by the American businessman and philanthropist Mr. Daniel K. Ludwig, who bequeathed his entire international holdings - a substantial proportion of his estate - for the endowment of the Institute. Mr. Ludwig's domestic (US) holdings were used to create the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research, which was also established to fund cancer research at six leading academic institutions in the USA: Pritzker School of Medicine (Chicago, IL), Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA), Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA), Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY), and Stanford University Medical Center (Stanford, CA).