IBRI operates as an independent nonprofit filling the translational gap between academic discovery and commercial drug development, where promising research often stalls. Current research targets rare pediatric cancers including neurofibromatosis and metastatic sarcomas, using data science and molecular innovation to identify biomarkers and develop therapeutics.
IBRI's Model Bridges the Translational Gap Between Discovery and Patient-Ready Therapies
We fill the gap where early-stage discovery stalls.
Mark
So IBRI sits between academia and industry. But what does that actually mean when you're trying to move a molecule forward?
Mimi
It means we do the work that neither side wants to do alone. An academic lab can identify a disease mechanism, but they don't have the infrastructure or the funding model to turn that into a drug candidate. A company can develop a candidate, but they won't touch something that's still too risky or unproven. We fill that gap.
Luke
But how do you know when to stop? At what point do you hand it off to a company or investor?
Mimi
When we've generated enough data to de-risk the program—when we've shown that the target is real, that our molecule works in cells and animal models, that there's a clear path to a clinical trial. That's when it's ready to move into Libris Innovations or to a partner.
Mark
You mentioned neurofibromatosis and sarcomas. Why focus on rare pediatric cancers when the money is in common diseases?
Mimi
Because the unmet need is enormous and the investment has been minimal. Small patient populations mean limited commercial incentive. But these kids still need treatments. Our independence as a nonprofit lets us pursue that work based on patient need rather than market size.
Luke
How many of these programs have actually made it to a company or into a clinical trial?
Mimi
That's a fair question. We're still relatively young as an institute. What we're measuring now is whether we're generating the right data and attracting the right partners. The real proof will come over the next five years.
Mark
The Global Forum in October brings together scientists, philanthropists, and investors. Why do they need to be in the same room?
Mimi
Because they each think the other two are the problem. Philanthropists think investors are too risk-averse. Investors think philanthropy funds science that never becomes a company. Scientists think both are missing the point. But the truth is they all depend on each other. You can't move a discovery forward without all three.
Luke
But do they actually change their behavior after sitting in a room together, or is it just networking?
Mimi
That's what we're trying to find out. We're not expecting miracles. But if even a few partnerships form, if even one funder realizes they should be investing earlier, if one investor sees the opportunity in this gap—that's a win.
Le Pouls
- IBRI founded in 2013 with support from Eli Lilly, the Lilly Endowment, and Indiana state funding
- Current research focuses on cardiometabolic diseases, Alzheimer's disease, and rare pediatric cancers including neurofibromatosis and metastatic sarcomas
- IBRI Internship Program received 680 applications for 30 positions this year
- Five-year, $11.3 million NIH grant secured with Indiana University School of Medicine and Purdue University for SHIP1 inhibitor research in Alzheimer's disease
- Global Forum on Science, Philanthropy, and Investment scheduled for October 29 at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis
IBRI operates as an independent nonprofit filling the translational gap between academic discovery and commercial drug development, where promising research often stalls. Current research targets rare pediatric cancers including neurofibromatosis and metastatic sarcomas, using data science and molecular innovation to identify biomarkers and develop therapeutics.
Indiana Biosciences Research Institute CEO Alan Palkowitz discusses IBRI's model for translating early-stage biomedical research into clinical therapies, focusing on cardiometabolic diseases, neurodegeneration, and rare pediatric cancers.
The path from laboratory discovery to a drug that actually helps patients is broken. A scientist identifies a disease mechanism. A company develops a candidate molecule. But between those two points—in the space where ideas are still unproven and risk is highest—the work often simply stops. No one has the infrastructure, the patience, or the financial incentive to carry it forward. This is the translational gap, and it has been widening for years.
The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute was built to live in that gap. Founded in 2013 with support from Eli Lilly and Company, the Lilly Endowment, and the state of Indiana, IBRI operates as an independent nonprofit that does the unglamorous, essential work of turning promising science into actual drug candidates. CEO Alan Palkowitz describes the institute's role plainly: it sits between early discovery and clinical development, doing the complex translational work that determines whether an idea can actually progress. An academic lab can identify a disease mechanism but rarely has the infrastructure to turn that insight into a drug. A company can develop a candidate but may lack the flexibility to pursue an early, unproven hypothesis. IBRI picks up where early-stage discovery stalls, carrying the work forward until a company or investor is ready to take it on.
The institute pursues this work through three channels. Internal teams conduct translational research in three disease areas: cardiometabolic diseases and Alzheimer's disease, and rare pediatric cancers including neurofibromatosis and metastatic sarcomas. When promising intellectual property emerges, it can advance into new companies through Libris Innovations, IBRI's for-profit subsidiary, with proceeds reinvested back into the nonprofit. IBRI also collaborates with biotech, pharmaceutical, and academic teams to fill gaps and de-risk programs. And through Future Legends Lab, a purpose-built incubator, the institute supports emerging life science startups with lab space, shared resources, expertise, and access to capital networks.
What makes this model possible at scale is IBRI's independence. As a standalone nonprofit, the institute can commit to a research program based on scientific merit and patient need rather than any single partner's near-term interest. This freedom has allowed IBRI to pursue work in areas where unmet need is high but investment has historically been scarce. In neurofibromatosis type 1, for example, mutations disrupt the tumor suppressor protein neurofibromin, and in some patients this leads to malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, or MPNSTs. IBRI's teams have identified antibody candidates targeting DLK1, a potential biomarker that could enable earlier detection of MPNSTs and serve as a targeted drug delivery vehicle. The institute is also developing a gene-targeted protein therapy to compensate for the NF1 mutation itself, which could help prevent the malignant progression that leads to MPNSTs. In pediatric sarcoma research, IBRI has identified the platelet-derived growth factor receptor family as an early driver of lung metastasis in multiple sarcomas and is developing monoclonal antibodies to block PDGFR activation, potentially reducing the growth of existing metastatic lesions or preventing new ones from forming.
Collaboration is central to how IBRI operates. The institute was selected as a partner for the National Institute on Aging's TREAT-AD initiative, which works to characterize and validate new drug targets for Alzheimer's disease. IBRI contributed capabilities in medicinal chemistry, iPSC-based pharmacology, and translational assay development, with work focused heavily on microglia and neuroinflammation. As an extension of this partnership, IBRI joined Indiana University School of Medicine and Purdue University in securing a five-year, $11.3 million NIH grant to advance SHIP1 inhibitors as potential Alzheimer's therapeutics. In another partnership announced in April, IBRI is working with Elanco to develop a novel feline iPSC-derived renal cell model for chronic kidney disease. Insights from this work could support Elanco's therapeutic development priorities and demonstrate applications across both animal and human health.
Beyond research, IBRI plays a role in Indiana's life sciences ecosystem by supporting emerging companies and developing scientific talent. Through Future Legends Lab, startup founders gain access to infrastructure and investor networks that typically take years to build independently. The IBRI Internship Program exposes students to the pace and expectations of translational research through real-world experience and close mentorship. This year, the program received more than 680 applications for just 30 positions, a measure of how eagerly the next generation of scientific talent seeks hands-on experience in this environment.
On October 29, IBRI will host the inaugural Global Forum on Science, Philanthropy, and Investment at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. The forum brings together leaders across research, philanthropy, and investment to examine how rigorous science, aligned funding, and strategic investment can shorten development timelines, reduce risk, and expand the impact of biomedical innovation. The program features a keynote from Nobel laureate Dr. William G. Kaelin, Jr. and a panel spanning philanthropy, entrepreneurship, and investment. Palkowitz argues that the alignment of these sectors is essential because translating breakthrough research into patient-ready therapies has grown more difficult and expensive, and no single sector can carry the work alone. Philanthropy can fund work that is too early or unproven to attract traditional investment. Entrepreneurs form companies that provide structure and resources. Investment allows those companies to scale and reach populations in need. Without these sectors working together, strong science can stall and never advance to the point of helping patients.
Looking ahead, IBRI's model may serve as a blueprint for addressing a persistent challenge in biopharmaceutical research: the stretch between basic science and private sector investment where projects are most likely to stall. This gap has widened in recent years due to a changing pharma model that has become more development-focused, limited venture investment in early-stage science, and growing uncertainty around federal funding for academic research. IBRI sits squarely at this point in the translational continuum, where scientific uncertainty and investor risk are the greatest. As the institute expands, it may emerge as an innovative leader, providing a new channel for innovation to progress from concept to patient impact.
Citations marquantes
An academic lab can identify a disease mechanism but rarely has the infrastructure to turn that insight into a drug candidate. A company can develop a drug candidate but may not have the flexibility to pursue an early, unproven hypothesis. IBRI picks up where early-stage discovery often stalls.— Alan Palkowitz, IBRI CEO
Philanthropy can fund work that may be too early or not yet proven enough to attract significant traditional investment. Without that support, many promising ideas would never generate the data needed to move forward at all.— Alan Palkowitz, IBRI CEO
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