ALIRI FRANCE SAS

Their core work

ALIRI France (formerly operating as ImaBiotech) is a French biotech SME specializing in preclinical drug development services, particularly mass spectrometry imaging and drug distribution analysis. They contribute to large research consortia by providing specialized analytical capabilities for therapeutic compound evaluation across infectious disease and oncology programs. Their work spans tuberculosis regimen development, cancer immunotherapy drug prototyping, and molecular biology of disease-related receptors.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ALIRI's earliest H2020 involvement (2016) focused on basic receptor biology through the CaSR Biomedicine project, a training network exploring calcium-sensing receptor therapeutics. From 2020 onward, they shifted decisively toward applied drug development — joining ERA4TB for tuberculosis regimen acceleration and CAPSTONE for cancer/autoimmune drug prototyping. The trajectory shows a clear move from fundamental biomedical research participation toward hands-on preclinical drug development with translational impact.

ALIRI is moving toward applied preclinical drug development services, making them increasingly relevant for consortia needing analytical and development expertise to advance therapeutic candidates from lab to clinic.

How they like to work

ALIRI exclusively participates as a partner or third party — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which is typical for specialist SMEs that bring focused technical capabilities to larger research efforts. Despite only 3 projects, they have worked with 61 unique partners across 18 countries, indicating involvement in large, multi-partner consortia (ERA4TB alone is a major pan-European initiative). This profile suggests a company that is sought out for specific analytical or development services rather than one that drives project design.

With 61 consortium partners across 18 countries from just 3 projects, ALIRI is embedded in broad European research networks, particularly in the health and pharmaceutical sector. Their reach extends well beyond France, reflecting the large-scale nature of the drug development consortia they join.

What sets them apart

ALIRI occupies a niche as a French biotech SME that provides specialized preclinical analytical services to major drug development consortia. Their dual focus on infectious disease (tuberculosis) and immuno-oncology gives them cross-domain experience that few small companies possess. For consortium builders, they offer the combination of SME agility with proven ability to operate inside large, complex EU partnerships.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ERA4TB
  Largest funding share (EUR 1.4M) in a flagship European tuberculosis drug development accelerator — signals significant technical contribution to preclinical pipeline work.
• CAPSTONE
  Bridges cancer immunotherapy and autoimmune disease drug development through antigen processing expertise, combining structural biology with translational medicine.