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Our Capabilities

Small molecule, peptide and antibody preclinical candidates delivered through one coordinated team operating from a single research hub in Rome, Italy.

Begin with the question that matters most to your program right now.

The right experiment at the right time

IRBM builds the data package a program needs to reach its next decision. Small molecules, peptides and antibodies, across a range of therapeutic areas, from target validation through to a preclinical candidate.

One coordinated team delivers chemistry, biology, pharmacology, and analytical sciences from a single research site in Rome, Italy, applying the same approaches used across leading pharmaceutical organizations. We begin with the experiment most likely to challenge a program, generating critical answers as early as possible.

Target biology should drive modality

The best modality for a target should be chosen by the biology, not constrained by available capabilities. Because small molecules, peptides, and antibodies are all discovered here, by teams using the same experimental framework, modality selection is guided by target requirements rather than organizational boundaries.

Peptide and antibody sequences can also start from a library. See Display Technologies.

You can join at any stage

Five stages carry a program from a target to a preclinical candidate. Your program can enter at any one of them:

Select a stage
01
Target ID and validation
02
Screening and hit ID
03
Hit validation and hit to lead
04
Lead optimization
05
Preclinical candidate
Stage 01

Target ID and validation

What runs at this stage
Entry point
A target hypothesis and the disease context behind it.
Output package
A validated target and a qualified assay that provides the confidence needed for hit selection.
Entry point
A validated target and an assay ready to run at scale.
Output package
A confirmed hit list, with the screening cascade and false-positive liabilities documented.
Entry point
Primary hits that require confirmation in an orthogonal assay.
Output package
A validated, structurally characterized chemical series worth optimizing.
Stage 04

Lead optimization

What runs at this stage
Entry point
A lead series and the target product profile it has to meet.
Output package
Optimized compounds supported by ADME, DMPK, and in vivo pharmacology data.
Stage 05

Preclinical candidate

What runs at this stage
PK, PD and efficacy relationshipsEarly toxicologyBiomarkersResponder identification
Entry point
Optimized leads and a decision to make on what advances.
Output package
A candidate package the next phase of development can build on.

Disease context sits with the therapeutic area teams.

Start with one capability

Engagement scales with the program and the evidence required at each stage. One assay, one screen, or one round of chemistry is a complete project with a defined output. The scope expands milestone by milestone as results justify progression.

Where a fully integrated program is the right approach from the outset, it can be run here as a single coordinated project.

Programs that reached the market

IRBM scientists have contributed to three approved drugs and delivered more than thirty preclinical candidates.

01
ISENTRESS
HIV integrase inhibitor
02
GRAZOPREVIR
In the hepatitis C therapy Zepatier
03
ZEJULA
PARP1/2 inhibitor, ovarian cancer

Start with the question you have now

One capability, one milestone, one data package that stands up on its own.

The same team can carry the program through to a preclinical candidate when the results earn it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I engage one capability without the others?

Yes. Every capability runs as a standalone piece of work with a defined output, rather than a fully integrated approach. Many programs start with one assay, one screen or one round of chemistry, then expand by milestone. The same team stays on the program as it grows.

The decision is made based on the target and the expected clinical approach. A well-formed pocket usually favors a small molecule. An extended protein interface, or a target that needs the molecule to cross a membrane, favors a peptide. A cell surface target where exposure matters more than entry into the cell favors an antibody. All three are supported here, so the question is settled before chemistry commits.

Yes. Five stages run here, from target identification and validation through screening, hit to lead and lead optimization to preclinical candidate. IRBM scientists have contributed to three approved drugs and delivered more than thirty preclinical candidates.

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.

Start a conversation.

Great science begins here.

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