Israel Launches National Biotech Innovation Center to Accelerate Therapeutics Development

The Israel National Biotech Innovation Center (INBI) Ltd. has officially launched its activities, aiming to unlock Israel's world-class biomedical research for the development of new therapies. This initiative brings together, for the first time, Israel's leading research institutions and medical centers in an effort to bridge the translational gap and create a pathway from groundbreaking science to new medicines. Founding partners include Bar-Ilan University, Beilinson Hospital - Rabin Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Clalit Health Services, Hadassah Medical Center, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Rambam Health Care Campus, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Sheba Medical Center, The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov), Tel Aviv University, The University of Haifa, and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

INBI is a non-profit national center of excellence with a mission to advance Israel's disruptive academic research into breakthrough therapeutics. This innovative model allows INBI to harness the breadth of Israel's research while benefiting from a centralized translational engine designed to bridge the gap between academic discovery and clinical application. "INBI represents a visionary model and marks the first-ever unity of all major sources of life sciences research in Israel, joining forces to create a national center of excellence with the mission of accelerating human cures," said Samuel Moed, Chairperson of INBI.

Anat Cohen-Dayag, PhD, Executive Chairperson of Compugen, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of INBI Core Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of INBI. Moed expressed excitement about Cohen-Dayag's leadership, stating, "We are incredibly excited to have Anat, a top-tier biotech leader, head INBI Core. Anat brings three decades of experience in navigating the complex path from early-stage innovation to clinical-stage therapeutic development and vast experience in establishing partnerships with capital markets and strategics, making her the ideal leader to deliver on our mission."

Dr. Cohen-Dayag emphasized the challenge in translating academic research into economic value, stating, "Israel possesses world-class academic research, yet only a fraction of this potential successfully translates into scaled economic value and patient impact. Our model was created to fundamentally change this dynamic." She aims to provide the tools, infrastructure, knowledge, expertise, and capital necessary to transform disruptive discoveries into potential global lifesaving therapies.

INBI is inspired by successful biotech hubs worldwide and adapts proven frameworks to leverage Israel's unique innovation ecosystem. Through INBI Core, the Center will implement a structured multi-year cohort lifecycle to de-risk projects and prepare early-stage assets for commercial spinouts and investment.

Dr. Cohen-Dayag brings pioneering leadership and extensive experience in the biotechnology industry, having served as President and CEO of Compugen, where she transformed the company into a clinical-stage therapeutic developer. Samuel Moed, with over three decades of experience in global biopharmaceuticals, is focused on maximizing Israel's life science innovation potential.

About INBI and INBI Core: The Israel National Biotech Innovation Center (INBI) Ltd. is a non-profit national platform that unites projects from Israel's leading universities, research hospitals, and healthcare organizations. INBI Core Ltd., a subsidiary of INBI, serves as a centralized operational hub, providing the infrastructure, knowledge, talent, and capital necessary for advancing breakthrough therapeutics and unlocking commercial opportunities.