Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM

The Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM has its focus on airway research. Enabling early detection of airborne pollutants and assessing their risks to human health, diagnosing airway diseases, and contributing to the development of new drugs – these are key objectives for the roughly 300 employees of Fraunhofer ITEM.

Contract research for human health

For over 35 years, Fraunhofer ITEM has been doing research for clients from industry and the public sector. Research activities range from studies addressing issues of consumer protection, occupational and environmental toxicology to preclinical and clinical drug research and development, including also manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals for clinical trials. For the registration of new drugs for treatment of allergies, asthma, and COPD, Fraunhofer ITEM conducts early-phase clinical trials. Special challenge chambers are available for this, including allergen challenge chambers to test the efficacy of new drugs for treating allergic rhinitis.

New research center – CRC Hannover

In collaboration with the Hannover Medical School and the Braunschweig-based Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Fraunhofer ITEM has set up the “Clinical Research Center Hannover” (CRC Hannover). The CRC Hannover offers an optimal infrastructure for performing early-phase clinical trials (phases I and II), allowing scientists and physicians to take the critical step in medical translational research: efficacy and tolerability testing of new drugs in human test subjects.