OCTOBER 7, 2025, NEW YORK – The Canton of Vaud, the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) have signed a new agreement that extends the presence of the Ludwig Branch in Lausanne and strengthens their collaboration. This collaboration, which has already attracted world-renowned cancer scientists, will support basic and translational research in cancer immunotherapy and on the tumor microenvironment.
With this renewal of the collaboration, the LICR reaffirms its long-term commitment to Lausanne and the Canton of Vaud. The Institute had already demonstrated its commitment in 2015, establishing the current collaboration between the Canton, the CHUV and UNIL, and with the appointment of George Coukos as head of the Ludwig Lausanne Branch, with the mission of stimulating cutting-edge research in cancer immunology and cell therapy. Ten years later, this new agreement continues the shared vision, while refocusing it on basic and translational research.
Since 2015, the partnership between the LICR, the CHUV and UNIL has been based on three components: fundamental research, a discovery engine in human tumor immunology (Hi-TiDE), and the clinical translation of new therapies at the CHUV.
What’s changing now (2025–2029)
Based on the translational research infrastructure in oncology established at the interface of CHUV-UNIL institutions, and before new therapies can be authorized for all patients requiring them, new discoveries are needed. These findings are based on in-depth academic research that will be reinforced by the full integration of the Ludwig Lausanne Branch within UNIL, where new interdisciplinary collaborations are expected to emerge. This new agreement builds on lessons learned by directing resources to areas with the highest clinical and scientific potential, to focus efforts on projects with clearer pathways to patient benefit and more immediate translational potential. LICR’s commitment to laboratory innovations is expected to generate new therapeutic breakthroughs, which can be translated at the CHUV clinic for the benefit of patients in the Canton of Vaud and beyond.
A new governance organization
The former Department of Oncology was reorganised to create a Department of Clinical Oncology at CHUV and Department of Fundamental Oncology at UNIL, which will host the Ludwig Lausanne Branch. This will strengthen the link between clinical and basic research, under the co-direction of the CHUV and UNIL.
A common ambition looking to the future
The CHUV is committed to expanding clinical trials to other therapeutic fields such as onco-hematology, immunology and pediatrics. The Center for Experimental Therapeutics (CTE), integrated and strengthened within the Department of Innovation and Research, will provide a clinical framework for the direct development and testing of new treatments, particularly in immunology and pediatrics. This new strategic direction is the best guarantee for the development of new therapies for cancer patients in the Canton of Vaud, whether they are adults or children.