Every program reaches a point where one critical question impacts whether it continues.
IRBM is built to answer those questions early. When the stakes are high and a standard approach falls short, we design, run and interpret the experiment your drug discovery program needs next.
Why drug discovery programs come here
Scientists who have discovered marketed drugs
IRBM was founded as an MSD Research Laboratories site, and has preserved that expertise since.
One team, one site
Chemistry, biology, DMPK, in vivo pharmacology and structural biology in one building and meeting on the same program. Continuous ownership from discovery to candidate selection.
We fit the shape of your program
Engage us for a single assay, a screening campaign or a full integrated program. Scope is agreed up front and revised as the data comes in.
Find what your program needs
Browse by modality, by therapeutic area, or by program stage.
Target ID and validation
Is this target worth pursuing?
Screening and hit ID
Is there a starting point for this target, regardless of modality?
Hit validation and hit to lead
Is this series developable?
Lead optimization
Will this lead hold up once its pharmacokinetics are determined?
Preclinical candidate
Is the package ready to hand over?
A program can enter and stop at any stage.
How a program starts
The scope is aligned to your objectives and refined as the program advances. The right experiment at the right time.
Step 01
Talk to the scientists
You define the challenge. We design the studies to address it.
Step 02
Agree on the experiment and the criteria
The readouts, the timeline and the go/no-go criteria, agreed before work starts.
Step 03
Get the answer you are looking for
Data in your format, on an agreed schedule, with one point of contact throughout.
Our track record
Proof of capability
A full discovery program, delivered from our site
Since 2019, more than €40 million in European and Italian public funding has supported our research in rare and neglected diseases, generating four development assets. These programs remain fully segregated from client-sponsored work and have helped establish several of our technology platforms across therapeutic areas and modalities which can help enable client programs.
One example is an oral inhibitor of the Zika virus protease. Starting from a phenotypic screen of the IRBM collection, the program advanced through lead optimization to efficacy in infected mice and was published in Nature Communications in 2026. Every stage was carried out on this site by the same scientists using the same assays and platforms that are available to support partner programs.
Latest from IRBM
For drug discovery teams advancing complex peptides, small molecules and new modalities, IRBM’s expanded Purification and Automation Suite delivers a faster, more reliable path from synthesis to high-quality data…Read more →
The decision to advance a candidate is only as sound as the data behind it. Every PK/PD profile, every efficacy readout, every biomarker result carries weight, and that weight depends entirely on the quality of the system that generated it.Read more →
IRBM, a leader in early drug discovery research, has announced a major scientific breakthrough with the discovery of a novel and potent allosteric inhibitor targeting the Zika virus (ZIKV) protease (NS2B-NS3).Read more →
Frequently Asked Questions
What does IRBM do?
IRBM is a preclinical drug discovery organization based in Rome, Italy. We conduct small molecule, peptide and antibody programs from target validation through to a preclinical candidate, either as a full integrated program or as a single capability for our clients. Our scientists have contributed to three approved drugs and have delivered more than thirty preclinical candidates to partners.
Can I work with IRBM on one capability, or only on a full program?
Both. Every capability is available as a standalone service with a defined output. Many programs start with a single assay, screening campaign or chemistry effort, then grow milestone by milestone. As the scope expands, the same team stays with the program.
Which modalities does IRBM work on?
Small molecules, peptides and antibodies are all supported, including macrocyclic peptides, peptide conjugates and antibody-drug conjugates. The target determines the modality, and that choice is made before chemistry is committed. All three are discovered and developed on the same research site.
Where is the work carried out, and how are projects managed?
All work is conducted at a single research site in Rome, Italy, on the former campus of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, known as MSD outside the USA and Canada. Each program has a dedicated project representative and a single point of contact. Scientific reporting runs on an agreed schedule, and go/no-go points are defined with you before the work starts. In vivo work is carried out in facilities accredited by AAALAC International.
Move faster from target to preclinical candidate
IRBM’s Integrated Drug Discovery platform unites chemistry, biology, DMPK, and in vivo pharmacology under one scientific framework so candidates advance through fewer handoffs, stronger data continuity, and better-informed decisions.