Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP

The first Summer School of the Innovation Center »Innovative Therapeutics« (TheraNova) took place in Mainz, October 13 to October 14, 2022. Project updates were given by participating PhD students and clinician scientists from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University and the Fraunhofer Institutes ITMP and IGD, and invited speakers highlighted current developments in the fields of innovative therapeutics, personalized medicine and entrepreneurship.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP opened an Early Clinical Trial Unit (ECTU) at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) on September 15, 2022. The focus is on first clinical testing of compounds for the treatment of largely intractable (autoimmune) diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease. The goal is a rapid and targeted implementation of scientific findings to diagnostics, therapies and prevention.

On September 21, 2022, the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP was officially opened. The institute, which was already transferred to an independent Fraunhofer Institute at the beginning of last year, has since developed into an important component and leading institute of Fraunhofer health research. During the opening ceremony at the University Hospital Frankfurt, Volker Bouffier was also honored with the Fraunhofer Medal.

The EU-funded project REMEDi4ALL willl make a major leap forward in drug repurposing, or finding new therapeutic option for existing drugs, in areas where there are high unmet medical needs. The 3 Fraunhofer institutes participating, Fraunhofer ITMP, Fraunhofer IZI and Fraunhofer SCAI, combine expertise in the realization of in-silico and in-vitro driven drug repurposing programs, the design of predictive in vivo models, the execution of clinical trials and algorithm development for the analysis of drug discovery data.

On May 6, 2022, the laboratories of the Fraunhofer ITMP site for immunology, infection and pandemic research in Penzberg/Munich were officially opened. The aim of the on-site research is to identify and characterize pandemic pathogens, develop new diagnostics and therapies, and better understand the role of the immune system in infectious diseases. Until the completion of their own building, the researchers will start their work in rented rooms on the campus of Roche's biotechnology center in Penzberg. 

The Franco-German AIOLOS project (Artificial Intelligence Tools for Outbreak Detection and Response) has received approval to develop a digital platform designed to allow for early detection of new respiratory pathogens epidemics, monitor their spread and inform decisions on appropriate counter measures.

Sanofi in France and the Fraunhofer Institutes SCAI and ITMP in Germany lead the consortium, which includes four other French and German partners.