Cheryl Barton is director of PharmaVision, 

Cheryl Barton

Cancer cells being destroyed by immunotherapy | Image Credit: ©Jennifer -stock.adobe.com

Cancer remains the leading cause of death worldwide. The approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which target cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) receptors on T and B immune cells, has transformed the landscape of cancer treatment.

However, they are not effective against all cancers, have variable efficacy, and some patients may develop resistance to treatment.

Researchers have identified several new targets that could overcome resistance and restore T-cell immune responses (

 These include B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA), B7 homologue 3 protein (B7-H3), CD112R, also known as poliovirus receptor (PVR)-related Ig domain (PVRIG),glucocorticoids-induced TNF receptor family-related protein (GITR), inducible co-stimulatory receptor (ICOS), indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO-1), natural killer (NK) group 2A (NKG2A), T-cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT), T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-containing protein-3 (TIM-3), and V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA).

These findings have paved the way for potential new treatments to be used as monotherapies or, more likely, in combination with existing ICIs.

 Current and novel targets for immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer. Modified from reference 5. Figure courtesy of the author.

There has been significant progress in understanding how cells evade the immune system.

 Researchers at Lund University, Sweden, have discovered a new immune evasion mechanism regulated by signaling lymphocytic activation molecule 6 (SLAMF6, also known as Ly108).

 SLAMF6 receptors are primarily expressed on progenitor or stem-like exhausted T cells and show both activating and inhibitory functions, which could be effectively utilized in immunotherapy.

Preliminary data with SLAMF6-targeting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have demonstrated improvements in the functional integrity of T cells 

 and in mouse models; this is a vital finding, because ICI blockade can cause T cell exhaustion.

What ICI Therapies Are the Pharma Industry Investing In?

Many large pharmaceutical companies have invested in this area. Leading commercial products include Merck & Co’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Bristol-Myers Squibb's (BMS) Opdivo (nivolumab), Roche/Genentech’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab), and AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi (durvalumab), which together represent the majority share of global ICI revenues.

Leading pharma firms continue to expand their oncology pipelines and have formed strategic collaborations and acquisitions to access new ICIs. For example, BioNTech acquired Biotheus to gain full global rights to BNT327/PM8002 (PD-L1 × VEGF-A bispecific) and has since established a global strategic partnership with BMS to co-develop and co-commercialize BNT327.

In October 2024, AbbVie and EvolveImmune Therapeutics signed a collaboration and option-to-license agreement to develop multispecific T cell-engaging antibodies in oncology.

What Are Some European Players to Watch Out for in the ICI Space?

Several European biotechs are evaluating next-generation ICIs that target a variety of pathways 

 European biotech companies developing immune checkpoint inhibitors in clinical development. Source: Author

is a global biotechnology company that has developed a comprehensive oncology portfolio comprising three therapeutic modalities: mRNA cancer immunotherapies; next-generation immunomodulators, such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies; and targeted therapies. The company is developing a range of immunomodulators, including gotistobart (optimised Fc anti-CTLA4), pumitamig (anti PD-L1/anti VEGF A), BNT314 (anti 4-1BB/anti-EpCAM), BNT317 (anti-PD-1/CD39), and BNT3213 (anti-TIGHT/OVRIG) bi-specific antibodies.

 It is also evaluating HER2, TROP2, B7H3, HER3, EGFRxHER3, and ADCs as combination partners for cancer therapies. BioNTech has established a broad set of relationships with multiple global and specialized pharmaceutical collaborators, including BMS, Duality Biologics, Fosun Pharma, Genentech, Genmab, MediLink, OncoC4, Pfizer, and Regeneron.

is an international biotechnology company established in 1999. It has developed a broad range of antibody-based therapeutic formats, including bispecific antibodies, ADCs, immune-modulating antibodies, and other next-generation modalities. It has a strategic focus on novel drug combinations, including ICIs with immunomodulators, such as TIGIT and LAG-3. In 2025, it terminated development of acasunlimab, a PD-L1x4-1BB bispecific antibody; BioNTech withdrew from its development in August 2024

Meanwhile, in September 2025, Genmab acquired Merus for approximately US$8 billion to expand its late-stage pipeline, gaining access to petosemtamab, an EGFRxLGR5 bispecific antibody in phase 3 for head and neck cancer and MCLA‑145, a bispecific antibody targeting CD137 and PD-1/PD-L1 for solid tumours.

 is a global clinical-stage oncology-focused biotech company. It is pioneering NK cell checkpoint modulators and monalizumab, an anti-NKG2A antibody, in collaboration with AstraZeneca, in non-small cell lung cancer.

Innate Pharma has also established a collaboration with Sanofi, as well as renowned academic and research institutions, to advance innovation in immuno-oncology. 

was founded in 2022 by Thoas Fioretos, MD, PhD, Niklas Landberg, MD, PhD, Carl Sandén, PhD, and Kjell Sjöström, MSc, a life science entrepreneur and founder of Innovagen AB. The company has raised US$770,000 from Seed Venture Capitalists.

 It is currently evaluating several mAbs that target different ICI pathways, including LB01, which targets SLAMF6, T-cell mediated elimination of cancer cells for the treatment of leukaemia and solid tumours; LB02, which targets C3AR, which is located on leukemic stem cells; and LB03, which targets SIRPα-CD47, which is important in the regulation of macrophage function.

In 2025, the company published a study showing that LB01 inhibits a previously unknown immune escape mechanism and eliminates acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cells in advanced experimental models.

 Based on the promising results, clinical trials are expected to start within 2 to 3 years.

 The company has forged strategic partnerships with Lunds University, Medicon Village, RISE, SciLife Lab, Smile Venture Hub, and Vinnova to drive the development of its pipeline products.

Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in cancer immunotherapy, including ICIs and CAR T-cell therapy, leading to improved management of various cancers.

Treatment continues to advance as innovative biotech companies explore new ICI pathways that can enhance and combine the effects of existing therapies.

 The global ICI market was valued at US$42.3 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$49.7 billion in 2025, expanding further to US$156.5 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate of 15.4% from 2025 to 2033. The increasing global cancer burden will drive this robust growth, with more ICI approvals across different tumour types and earlier treatment lines, higher adoption of combination therapies, and broader access to treatments in emerging markets.

Many large pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, BMS, Genentech, Merck & Co., Roche, and Sanofi, have already made significant investments in this area. Innovative European biotech firms such as BioNTech, GenMab, Innate Pharma SA, and Lead Biologics have been quick to capitalise on investor interest, enabling them to explore new targets that could be used as monotherapies or in combination with approved therapies to improve clinical outcomes in a broader range of cancers.

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Immunogenicity of cell death and cancer immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors

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SLAMF6 discovery offers hope for non-responding cancer patients

SLAMF6: Drug Target to Boost T Cell Immunity

BioNTech to acquire Biotheus to boost oncology strategy

BioNTech and Bristol Myers Squibb announce global strategic partnership to co-develop and co-commercialize next-generation bispecific antibody candidate BNT327 broadly for multiple solid tumour types

AbbVie and EvolveImmune Therapeutics announce collaboration and option-to-license agreement to develop next-generation cancer biotherapeutics

. Company Presentation. November 11, 2025.

Genmab Takes Full Control of Acasunlimab Development Program.

Genmab to Acquire Merus, Expanding Late-Stage Pipeline and Accelerating into a Wholly Owned Model.

Phase I study of MCLA-145, a bispecific antibody targeting CD137 and PD-L1, in solid tumors, as monotherapy or in combination with pembrolizumab. 

Innate Pharma announces €15m investment by Sanofi. 

The landscape of combining immune checkpoint inhibitors with novel Therapies: Secret alliances against breast cancer. 

Moving the needle on immune checkpoint inhibitors with novel targets: are we being TIMid or LAGging behind?, 

Cheryl Barton, PhD, is founder and director of PharmaVision, Pharmavision.co.uk.

Articles

Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting CTLA-4, PD-1/PD-L1, and LAG-3 have reshaped oncology but show heterogeneous responses and acquired resistance. A broadened checkpoint landscape (eg, TIGIT, TIM-3, VISTA, NKG2A, BTLA, CD112R/PVRIG, ICOS, GITR, IDO1, B7-H3) is being pursued largely in combinations. SLAMF6/Ly108 has been identified as a targetable immune-evasion mechanism on progenitor exhausted T cells; early anti-SLAMF6 antibodies restore T-cell functionality in models. Key revenues remain anchored by pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab, and durvalumab, as major pharma and European biotechs expand bispecific and multispecific portfolios amid strong market growth forecasts.

European biotech companies are exploring new therapeutic targets on T-cells to overcome drug resistance and improve clinical outcomes in cancer.

European Biotechs Pushing the Frontiers in Immunotherapy 

Amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease | Image Credit: ©Artur -stock.adobe.com


Dementia affects more than 55 million people worldwide, with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) accounting for approximately 70% of cases.

 By 2050, it is estimated that around 130 million people could suffer from AD, driven by an ageing global population. Approximately 7% of people over age 65 have dementia, and prevalence rises sharply with age, often doubling every five to six years after age 65.

A large proportion of dementia cases remain undiagnosed; new diagnostic tests are under development that could help speed up diagnosis and patient access to approved and emerging AD treatments

 Eli Lilly has developed a telehealth platform, LillyDirect, to expand access and potentially improve early diagnosis and treatment uptake.

 AD and dementia impose enormous societal and healthcare costs worldwide, with urgent calls for better detection, treatment, and care infrastructure.

Traditional AD treatments, such as Forest Laboratories' orally active Namenda (memantine), a cholinesterase inhibitor, address the symptoms of the disease rather than slow disease progression.

 More recently, new disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), such as intravenous (IV) administered anti-amyloid β monoclonal antibodies from Biogen/Eisai’s Leqembi (lecanemab) and Eli Lilly's Kisunla (donanemab), have been approved for early stages of AD with confirmed amyloid pathology.

 However, there remains a high unmet need for safer, easy-to-use drugs and therapies targeting non-amyloid/tau pathways. In 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the supplemental biologics licensure application (BLA) for Leqembi Iqlik (lecanemab-irmb), a subcutaneous autoinjector formulation for once-weekly maintenance dosing in the United States.

There has been significant investment in the AD space in recent years, and more than 138 drugs were investigated in 182 clinical trials in 2025. These drugs target a range of novel targets beyond amyloid and tau, including pathways affecting bioenergetics and metabolism, the endocrine system, oxidative stress, synaptic plasticity, and the vasculature (

 New Alzheimer’s disease treatments target a wide range of biological pathways. Figure courtesy of the author. 

What AD therapies are the pharma industry investing in?

At present, Biogen, Eli Lilly, and Eisai monopolise the AD market; however, many large pharma firms also run AD programs. For example, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Roche/Genentech are developing anti-amyloid antibodies, posdienmab and trontinemab, respectively.

 Large pharma has been active in licensing assets and co-developing innovative platforms, ranging from anti-tau antibodies to natural killer (NK) cell therapies. Meanwhile, the regulators have published guidance and established frameworks, including FDA Fast Track and European Medicines Agency (EMA) adaptive pathways, to help align drug development and investment in innovative medicines for AD and other areas of unmet medical need.

What are some European players to watch out for in the proteasome space?

Several European biotechs are evaluating next-generation anti-amyloid agents, tau and sigma inhibitors. European biotech leading the way include the following.

 is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on novel treatment for neurodegenerative diseases leveraging its clinically validated technology platforms, SupraAntigen and Morphomer. The company is developing a broad range of AD therapies, including ACI-35.030 (JNJ-2056), an anti-pTau active immunotherapy in phase 1b/2a targeting extracellular phosphorylated Tau (pTau), partnered with Janssen Pharmaceuticals; the company published trial data in eBioMedicine, and further data are expected in 1H26.

 ACI-24.060 targets misfolded Abeta to prevent accumulation and enhance clearance of amyloid plaques in AD and AD in Down syndrome and is currently being evaluated in the ABATE phase 1b/2 with Takeda. Results of this study are due to be released soon.

Anavex Life Science Corporation (Germany) 

focuses on novel small-molecule treatment for central nervous system diseases. Its lead candidate, blarcamesine, is a once-daily oral Sigma-1 receptor modulator that enhances autophagy. The company has filed a new drug application with EMA and FDA based on pivotal ATTENTION-AD and AD-004 trials in early AD, in which it demonstrated significant clinical benefit and slowed brain volume loss compared with the intent-to-treat population.

 In December 2025, the company requested a re-examination of the EMA's refusal of its marketing authorization because “the main study failed to demonstrate effectiveness and safety of blarcamesine in patients with early AD who do not have a mutation in the SIGMAR1 gene”.

 is a clinical-stage biotech company developing small molecules targeting tau protein aggregation. In July 2024, it completed a $100 million Series C financing round led by Novo Holdings, with new investment from EQT Life Sciences–LSP Dementia Fund, OrbiMed, and SR One, alongside existing investors M Ventures, Sofinnova Partners, GSK Equities Investments Limited and Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JJDC, Inc.).The funds were used to advance its lead asset, ASN51, an oral small-molecule drug designed to inhibit OGA, an enzyme implicated in protein aggregation in AD and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

 developed Leqembi in conjunction with Eisai, one of the first DMTs for early AD. The drug is now approved in more than 50 countries and continues to show strong sales growth. In September 2025, BioArtic received regulatory approval for monthly IV maintenance treatment in China. Eisai received US approval for Leqembi Iqlik weekly maintenance dosing, using a subcutaneous autoinjector. BioArtic signed a global out-licensing agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) for two preclinical AD programmes: BAN1503, an antibody targeting pyroGlu Abeta, and BAN2803, an antibody targeting PyroGlu Abeta combined with BioArtic’s Brain Transporter technology.

 a UK biotechnology company, focuses on the treatment of AD by modulating retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα), as identified in Professor Jonathan Corcoran's research at King's College London.

 has taken a different approach, targeting septin filaments, which regulate calcium entry into cells. This function is impaired in AD. In September 2025, the company published data from the phase 2a trial, which was halted prematurely due to dose-dependent elevations in liver enzymes that normalized after treatment was stopped.

 The company is developing REN392, a second-generation septin modulator that can help restore neuronal calcium balance, with an optimised safety profile and pharmacokinetic profile.

) are developing small-molecule tau aggregation inhibitors, and their lead programme is hydromethylthionine mesylate (HMTM), which has demonstrated promising results in the phase 3 LUCIDITY in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment in AD.

 is a spin-off company from the University of Cambridge (UK) and Lund University (Sweden). In January 2021, it closed a £12.4 million ($17 million) financing round; the total capital raised to date is approximately £33 million ($45 million).

 The funds have been used to advance its two misfolding small-molecule programs towards the clinic for the potential treatment of AD and PD.

Competition in the AD field is increasing, and several US biotechs—Alzheon, Annovis Bio, Alpha Cognition, Cognition Therapeutics, Longeveron, Neurodon—have R&D programs in this space and include NKGen Biotech, which is developing troculeucel, the first autologous enhanced NK cell therapy for AD.

 Asia-Pacific activity is growing, and several biotech companies—ADEL, AirBio Co. Ltd, GemVax, Shanghai Hengrui, and Therabest Korea—are developing AD agents and attracting pharma interest. In December 2025, Sanofi signed a US$1.04 billion licensing agreement with Korean biotech ADEL for ADEL-Y01, a tau-targeting antibody for AD.

Future opportunities in targeting the proteasome

Treatment for AD continues to advance, and innovative biotech companies are now looking beyond anti-amyloid and anti-tau programs to target the underlying causes of neuroinflammation and immune modulation in AD rather than focusing on symptomatic therapies.The global Alzheimer’s drugs market size was valued at US$3.52 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from US$3.69 billion in 2023 to US$5.21 billion by 2030, exhibiting a compound average growth rate of 5.1% due to improvements in diagnosis and the emergence of new DMTs.

 Many large pharma companies, including Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eisai, Genentech, Janssen, Roche, Sanofi, and Takeda, have already invested in the field, and several pivotal studies are due to report during the next 18 months that could stimulate further investment in this dynamic but high-risk market.

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Cheryl Barton, PhD, founder and director, PharmaVision

Dementia prevalence is rising rapidly, with Alzheimer’s disease comprising most cases and substantial underdiagnosis persisting despite emerging biomarker-based diagnostics and telehealth-enabled access models. Symptomatic therapies remain in use, but disease-modifying anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies now dominate early AD treatment, including movement toward subcutaneous, autoinjector maintenance dosing. The development pipeline is broadening beyond amyloid/tau into metabolism, oxidative stress, synaptic biology, vascular targets, and immune modulation. European biotechs and Asia-Pacific innovators are increasingly influential via novel mechanisms, financings, and major licensing deals.

New disease-modifying agents are being evaluated in the clinic that could change the course of treatment for Alzheimer’s disease patients.

European Biotechs Impacting Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease


Proteasomes are molecular machines for breaking down proteins called proteolysis, only target proteins that have been marked for destruction called ubiquitin to the target protein, 3d rendering | Image Credit: ©

Momentum is building for proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTAC) treatments that hijack the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) to catalytically degrade pathogenic proteins and eliminate disease-causing proteins.

 This approach enables scientists to target previously "undruggable" proteins and exert sustained pharmacological effects, including those responsible for difficult-to-treat childhood cancers and drug-resistant triple-negative breast cancer.

 In recent years, significant progress has been made in the selective delivery of PROTACs, potentially extending their use to a broader range of conditions.

How is the pharma industry investing in proteasome-targeting therapies?

A number of proteasome-targeting therapies have been approved in Europe and the United States, such as Amgen’s   carfilzomib (Kyprolis), Bristol Myers Squibb’s ixazomib (Ninlaro), and Johnson & Johnson/Takeda’s bortezomib (Velcade). Several Big Pharma companies—AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Merck & Co, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, and Sanofi—have products in clinical development. Interest in this field has catalyzed some interesting acquisitions and partnerships. For instance, in 2025, Johnson & Johnson completed its acquisition of Halda Therapeutics to gain access to its novel Regulated Induced Proximity Targeting Chimaeras (RIPTACs), a protein degradation approach that connects with proteasome pathways.

 In September 2025, Novartis initiated a collaboration with US-based Monte Rose to develop novel degraders or molecular glues to treat immune-mediated diseases.

Several biotech companies in the US are developing second-generation PROTACs, including Arvinas' vepdegestrant (ARV-471). In March 2025, Pfizer and Arvinas announced positive topline results from the phase 3 VERITAC-2 clinical trial with vepdegestrant in metastatic breast cancer.

 Additionally, C4 Therapeutics and Nurix Therapeutics have protein degrader programs: cemisoldomide in phase 1/2 for multiple myeloma/non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and bexobrutideg in phase 2/3 for relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (R/R CLL), respectively.

More recently, US-based Kymera Therapeutics received fast track designation from the US FDA for KT-621, an oral signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) degrader for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.

In 2025, Sanofi modified its collaboration with Kymera, discontinuing development of KT-474, an Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) degrader, while continuing development of KT-485, which is in phase 2 trials for atopic dermatitis and hidradenitis suppurativa.

 Other US biotech companies working in this field include Accutar Biotech, Cleave Therapeutics, Dialectic Therapeutics, and Karyopharm Therapeutics.

Several European biotechs are evaluating a new class of inhibitors that harness the UPS, hijacking the proteasome to provide disease-specific protein degradation with a wide range of therapeutic applications from autoimmune to oncology.

has developed its proprietary next-generation targeted protein degradation (TPD) technology to develop Targeted Glues. Its lead program, AMX-883, can induce BRD9 degradation to block patient-derived tumour growth in vivo as a monotherapy, with superiority to venetoclax in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

focuses on developing small-molecule proteasome activators for neurodegenerative disease using its DGRADX platform. In October 2025, the company completed a US$15 million financing round led by life sciences investors Apollo Health Ventures and Novo Holding.

 Funds will be used to advance its multidisease pipeline.

focuses on the development of precision medicine using site-restricted targeted therapeutics. OncoOne’s research encompasses the development of targeted immunotherapeutics that modulate tumour degradation using its Pre-Targ-it platform. The company is exploring therapies that target the proteasome-Bcl-2 axis as novel anticancer agents.

QLi5 Therapeutics GmbH (German-Korean joint venture) 

is working on a new class of proteasome inhibitors that demonstrate strong anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory activity, offering promise in cancer, autoimmune, and inflammatory disorders.

 In September 2025, Qli5 closed a €10 million (US$12 million) Series A financing round with an international consortium of investors, including SV Investment (Korea), KHAN Technology Transfer Fund I (Germany), Atinum Investment (Korea), and DAOL Investment (formerly KTB, Korea). The proceeds will advance its pipeline of proteasome inhibitors in clinical development.

According to market research, the global proteasome inhibitor market was valued at approximately US$2.7 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach US$3.03 billion in 2024, growing to approximately US$6.1 billion by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.70% from 2025 to 2034.

 Preliminary research indicated that proteasomes may have far-reaching effects and could be used to target new immune defence mechanisms.

 Currently, companies are focusing on developing proteasome inhibitors for oncology; however, these agents may also present new opportunities to treat patients with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Many large pharmaceutical companies have already forged strategic partnerships with research institutions and biotech companies to advance PROATCs and UPS, either as standalone therapies or in combination with existing therapies. Several late-stage clinical trials will read out over the next 12 to 24 months, and promising results could stimulate further investment in this area.

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https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/proteasome-inhibitors-market

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Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are gaining momentum as they leverage the ubiquitin-proteasome system to degrade pathogenic proteins, offering potential treatments for previously "undruggable" targets, including challenging cancers. The pharmaceutical industry is heavily investing in proteasome-targeting therapies, with several companies developing and testing new drugs. European biotech firms are also advancing in this field, exploring novel inhibitors and therapeutic applications. The global proteasome inhibitor market is projected to grow significantly, with potential applications extending beyond oncology to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Proteasome-targeting therapies may eliminate disease-causing proteins in a broad range of diseases.

Proteasomes: A Novel Approach to Target the Immune System

Fluorescent Imaging immunofluorescence of cancer cells growing in 2D with nuclei in blue, cytoplasm in red and DNA damage foci in green | Image Credit: ©drimafilm - stock.adobe.com

Live-cell imaging techniques offer dynamic, spatio-temporal insights into cellular processes and provide a comprehensive, 

cost-effective way to objectively examine drug effects across different cellular models 

(1). When used with fluorescence reporters or label-free methods alongside artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) techniques, it can deliver detailed phenotypic screening, enabling thorough compound profiling, understanding mechanisms of action (MoA), enhancing translational predictivity, and speeding up lead optimization (

Figure 1: Key advantages of utilising live cell imaging in driving drug discovery. Source: modified from references 2,3. Figure courtesy of the author.

Which European frontrunners are leading the field in live-cell imaging technologies?

Several European biotechs, including Cellbox Labs, Evotec SE, Nanolive SA, and Salipro Biotech AB, have developed innovative high-throughput screening methods to improve 

 translation (IVIVE) and accelerate the discovery of new chemical entities (NCEs) for clinical evaluation.

was founded in 2020 by Artūrs Ābols, Gatis Mozoļevskis, and Roberts Rimša. The company focuses on developing modular “organ-on-chip” (OOC) systems to improve drug discovery, in which endothelial and epithelial layers are stacked in vertical channels separated by permeable membranes, enabling organ modelling in a controlled environment. The company has developed various OOCs, including the blood-brain barrier, kidney, gut, lung, and pancreas, to accurately predict individual responses to drugs, food, and probiotics (4). The OOCs can be mass-produced to enhance reproducibility and cost-efficiency, and can be scaled up from 8 to 24 chips, if needed.

In 2024, Cellbox raised a pre-seed round of €935,000 led by Latvian Buildit VC, with participation from LatBAN angels, ASP Asset Management AIFP, and private investor Ansis Spridzans (5). In August 2025, Cellbox attracted a further €3.3 million in funding from Tech4Cure, a state-funded Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI). These funds will be used to expand Cellbox’s OOC high-throughput technology and to integrate biological sensors for improved IVIVE (6). Earlier this year, Cellbox Labs began a collaboration with the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teadusmosaiik OÜ, and Fewer Moving Parts to develop a first-in-class vascularised Gut-Brain-Axis (GBA) on-chip platform, a multi-OOC model that, if successful, could have significant applications in real-world drug evaluation (7).

In August 2025, Cellbox forged a collaboration with Altis Biosystems to scale an automated, gut-on-chip model using iPSCs and patient-derived microbiota, and it plans to integrate oxygen and pH sensors directly into the OOC to provide more detailed analysis for AI-driven drug discovery (7). Cellbox is also leveraging its pancreatic islet OOC to assess and benchmark biosimilars and glucagon-like protein 1 (GLP-1) generics under dynamic flow conditions, and compare the data generated with traditional 

 animal models to help improve biosimilar testing. In addition, Cellbox Labs is working with ESQlabs and MPSlabs to develop digital twin models to enhance the predictive power of the OOC platforms for human outcomes. Overall, these next-generation OCCs could improve the translational prediction of compound effects compared to classic monolayer cultures and help de-risk and accelerate preclinical drug development (8).

using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) screening

 to model human diseases and enable patient-specific drug testing. Initially, the company focused on 2D cultures to improve translational prediction and is now investigating more physiologically relevant models, including multilineage cultures, organoids, and co-cultures, to improve fidelity. The proprietary platforms integrate live-cell imaging with iPSC-derived cell types for specific conditions, including neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases (9). Evotec has leveraged its iPSC phenotypic screening and imaging platform to establish strategic collaborations with biopharma. In January 2022, Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) entered a partnership with Evotec to combine its PanOmics Platform with iPSC-based disease modelling and phenotypic screening to identify novel candidates for vision-related diseases (10). In the second quarter of 2025, Evotec reported key advancements in its neuroscience collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb, resulting in a US$20 million research payment to the company. To date, the company has received US$75 million in programme-based payments, and two partnered assets have entered Phase II clinical trials (11).

Evotec has also established collaborations with Esperon and identified a preclinical candidate for the treatment of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. Another partner, Dewpoint Therapeutics, submitted an investigational new drug (IND) application for a first-in-class condensate modulator, DPTX3186, for Wnt-driven cancers, earlier this year (12). In addition, Evotec Ventures funds translational projects with academia through its Biomedical Research, Innovation & Development Generation Efficiency (BRIDGE) model. Since its establishment, it has created eight BRIDGE partnerships and made three investments in start-ups (e.g., Autobalm Labs, ArgioBio, and Extend) (13). In November 2025, the company reported strong nine-month financial results. It announced a US$650 million deal for Sandoz to acquire its Just-Evotec Biologics (JEB) EU in Toulouse and license its continuous manufacturing platform technology. The company is cash-rich and is on target to deliver its strategic objectives, enhance its live cell offerings, and build strategic partnerships with biopharma to secure future growth (11).

provides label-free live-cell holotomographic imaging platforms that measure the quantitative refractive index of cells, enabling continuous imaging of living cells over long periods without fluorescent reporters. Its proprietary LIVE Cytotoxicity Assay and LIVE T Cell Assay can be combined with AI-powered analysis to determine interaction dynamics, viability, and organelle changes (14). This technology has the potential to accelerate the discovery of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T), T-cell receptor T (TCR-T), bispecific antibodies, and other immunomodulators. For example, Pagliuca 

 deployed Nanolive’s technology to monitor real-time interactions between Vγ9Vδ2 T cells and tumour cells following treatment with BTN2A1-agonist antibody, which has potential in haematological and solid tumours (15). Nanolive continues to expand its offerings and, earlier in 2025, launched its Smart Mitochondrial AssayLIVE for real-time mitochondrial analysis, enabling researchers to evaluate metabolic function, cellular stress, and drug-induced toxicity. This assay could be a helpful addition for researchers evaluating NCEs targeting mitochondrial diseases and oncology (16).

develops nanomembrane-protein stabilisation technology, Salipro DirectMX, to improve the development of therapeutic antibodies and small molecules targeting membrane proteins, such as G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channels, and transporters (17). This technology can be used in downstream applications such as B-cell sorting, immunisation, mass spectrometry, phage display, radioligand binding, and other processes to facilitate drug discovery. In May 2023, 

screened and identified several small-molecule binders using the Salipro and DEL (DNA encoded library) platform, successfully discovering binders against a challenging membrane protein target. This partnership provided proof-of-concept data demonstrating that Salipro’s platform enhances the discovery of new drugs targeting previously undruggable proteins (18). Salipro published a paper with Bio-Rad Laboratories, showing that Salipro platform technology, combined with Bio-Rad’s Pioneer Platform, can generate a synthetic human antibody phage display library to identify several high-affinity antibodies targeting CXC chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), which play a central role in immune-oncology (19). Salipro has formed strategic partnerships with AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, and Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) to unlock drug targets for various drug development programmes. BI signed a deal to utilize Salipro’s platform technology to accelerate target discovery in therapeutic areas such as mental health and cardio-renal-metabolic diseases (20). Salipro technology complements imaging and phenotypic tools and can support drug discovery, particularly for membrane-bound protein targets that have proven challenging to study using traditional methods.

Live-cell imaging techniques, combined with AI/ML, are revolutionizing drug discovery by providing detailed phenotypic screening and enhancing translational predictivity. European companies like Cellbox Labs, Evotec SE, Nanolive SA, and Salipro Biotech AB are at the forefront, developing innovative technologies to improve in vitro–in vivo translation and accelerate new chemical entity discovery. These advancements are crucial as the global live-cell imaging market is projected to grow significantly, driven by the need for more efficient drug discovery methods and the phasing out of animal testing in favor of new approach methodologies.

Live cell phenotypic screening can enhance translational predictability and speed up lead optimization.