Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine
Fraunhofer ITEM – pioneers for sustainable health
Fraunhofer ITEM aims to protect man from health hazards in our industrialized world and to contribute to the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Focusing on lung and inhalation, Fraunhofer ITEM has pooled its expertise in three business areas:
In the business area Drug Development, we develop and test novel medications against respiratory diseases – in particular asthma, hay fever, COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and infections. Scientific expertise covers manufacturing of biologics, preclinical and clinical development.
In the business area Chemical Safety and Assessment we determine the risks from potentially harmful substances and support the development of new products to protect human health and the environment. Scientific expertise includes toxicology testing, exposure assessment, analytical methods, regulatory research and risk assessment.
The business area Translational Biomedical Engineering offers many years of experience in the development of medical devices – specifically medical aerosolizers and neuro-implants – including testing and testing scenarios, safety and risk assessment.
All business areas offer regulatory support. Numerous test systems are available, including in-vitro, ex-vivo, in-vivo and in-silico models Studies can be performed in compliance with GXP regulations.
A Regensburg-based division is dedicated to personalized tumor therapy including development of diagnostic tests to enable early detection of disseminated cancer cells and prediction of the response to therapy of metastatic progenitor cells.
Fraunhofer ITEM is one of 76 institutes and research institutions of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the world’s leading applied research organization.
About the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a recognized non-profit organization that takes its name from Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787–1826), the illustrious Munich researcher, inventor and entrepreneur.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, headquartered in Germany, is one of the world’s leading organizations for applied research. It plays a major role in innovation by prioritizing research on cutting-edge technologies and the transfer of results to industry to strengthen Germany’s industrial base and for the benefit of society as a whole. Since its founding as a nonprofit organization in 1949, Fraunhofer has held a unique position in the German research and innovation ecosystem.
With nearly 32,000 employees across 75 institutes and legally independent research units in Germany, Fraunhofer operates with an annual budget of €3.6 billion, €3.1 billion of which is generated by contract research — Fraunhofer’s core business model. Unlike other public research organizations, base funding from the German federal and state governments is merely the foundation for the annual research budget. This serves as the basis for groundbreaking precompetitive research that will become important for the private sector and society in the years ahead. Fraunhofer’s distinctive feature is its large share of industry revenue, guaranteeing close collaboration with the private sector and industry, and the consistent focus of Fraunhofer’s research on the market. In 2024, industry revenue accounted for €867 million of its budget. Fraunhofer’s research portfolio is augmented by competitively acquired public-sector funding, pursuing the right balance between public-sector and industry revenue.
Last updated: April 2025