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Who We Are
Innovators in Early Oncology Drug Development
Oncode Accelerator is a public-private partnership that is funded by the Dutch National Growth Fund (Nationaal Groeifonds). Our program launched in 2023, when the National Growth Fund invested €325 million to support our ambitious plan.
Our mission is bold: we aim to collaboratively optimize and accelerate the development of new cancer therapies for the benefit of patients of all ages. To accomplish this, we bring together top technology, bright minds, and non-dilutive co-funding so that great ideas can progress faster.
A Patient-Centric Approach in Preclinical Development
To accelerate the development of safe, personalized and effective therapies, we place the patient at the center of the preclinical development pipelines. We do this by fully utilizing the power of three innovation Platforms: well-defined Patient Cohorts, patient-derived Organoid models and Artificial Intelligence.
We integrate expertise from our innovation Platforms into the drug development process to accelerate the development of four key types of therapies that benefit our society: Small Molecules, Biologics, Cell & Gene Therapy, and Therapeutic Vaccines. These four types of therapies make up our Workstreams.
Watch the video to learn more.
For Drug Developers
Drug developers worldwide can access the expertise and infrastructure of our Workstreams and Platforms through Demonstrator Projects. Through Demonstrator Projects, we also provide hands-on project coordination and co-funding.
Collaborating for Oncology Innovation
Oncode Accelerator is a collaboration between six coordinating partners: Leiden University, Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Princess Máxima Center, UMC Utrecht and the Oncode Accelerator Foundation, who lead individual consortia within the Oncode Accelerator Program. These six coordinating partners lead our individual Workstreams and Platforms, that together make up our entire program.
We have gathered over 35 public and private partners who make up our innovative oncology ecosystem in addition to several strategic alliances.
Synergy between Oncode Accelerator, Oncode Institute and the Oncode Impact Foundation
How we relate to Oncode Institute
Oncode Accelerator is an essential complementary effort to Oncode Institute. These two independent organizations work closely together towards one shared mission: outsmarting cancer and impacting lives.
Oncode Institute is a Dutch research and innovation organization dedicated to accelerating breakthroughs in cancer research and translating them into impactful diagnostics and treatments. It brings together 62 leading researchers and their teams from 13 partner institutes to pursue cutting-edge, high-risk, high-gain research.
Oncode Accelerator forms the essential next step towards the translation of research findings into solutions for patients by providing the infrastructure, expertise and funding to perform preclinical development for new cancer therapies.
Oncode Institute’s clinical proof of concept program then closes the loop, helping preclinical findings reach the clinical stage. Oncode Institute also has a strong track record in valorization of breakthrough science into real-world impact, for instance through spinning out companies and helping promising research reach the market. This is driven by a dedicated team of business development and intellectual property experts that works closely with researchers to identify and nurture promising ideas.
How we relate to the Oncode Impact Foundation
The Oncode Impact Foundation is a joint initiative of Oncode Institute and Oncode Accelerator and operates independently on a not-for-profit basis. The foundation uses philanthropic resources to translate innovative cancer research into concrete impact for patients quicker.
The foundation focuses on early-stage projects with high medical need and strong potential, where conventional funding is often unavailable. This includes projects preselected and co-financed by Oncode Accelerator (specifically Demonstrator Projects) and Oncode Institute (including nurturing of technological inventions and early clinical proof-of-concept projects).
By funding this critical phase, the Oncode Impact Foundation bridges the gap between scientific discovery and clinical application. Through close collaboration with Oncode Accelerator and Oncode Institute, it enables promising innovations to reach patients faster and more effectively.
Together, the Oncode-partners connect science, entrepreneurship and social engagement, to structurally contribute to a future where cancer can be outsmarted, and the lives of patients with cancer will be positively impacted.
About the National Growth Fund
The Dutch National Growth Fund (Nationaal Groeifonds) invests over €11 billion in 50 large-scale and long-term innovative projects that that make the greatest possible contribution to sustainable and structural economic growth in the Netherlands. These large-scale projects have a long-term vision, with public and private parties joining forces. The National Growth Fund activates companies, universities, institutes and ministries, acting as a lever for mobilizing capital. An independent advisory committee assesses and monitors the National Growth Fund projects.
At Oncode Accelerator, we collaborate with other National Growth Fund initiatives within the Life Sciences and Health cluster to amplify the investments made. This is done, for instance, through shared infrastructure, valorization programs, innovation-to-impact partnerships, and regulatory engagement.