A billion-dollar spin-out

Awards and accolades; partnerships and public listings: Protagonist Therapeutics has come a long way since the fledgling start-up took root at IMB, supported by passionate philanthropists.

Conceived in IMB’s world-class research labs in 2001, Protagonist pioneers new oral drugs targeting hard-to-treat conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and rare blood disorders, replacing the need for surgery, transfusions and injections.

Over two decades, Protagonist expanded beyond IMB’s St Lucia campus to labs across the globe, listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, partnered with Janssen Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth almost $US200M and was named Australian Company of the Year in 2016.

But through it all, the company remains driven by how its innovations benefit patients.
Its ground-breaking drugs and leading research not only mean an economic windfall for Protagonist but a better life for patients.