INTERAX BIOTECH AG

Their core work

Interax Biotech is a Swiss biotechnology SME that develops a proprietary platform for discovering drug leads targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), one of the most important drug target families in pharma. Their platform focuses on measuring beta-arrestin signaling pathways, enabling identification of safer and more selective therapeutics. They apply this technology to oncology-relevant chemokine receptors and broader GPCR drug discovery, positioning themselves at the intersection of receptor biology and commercial drug development.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Interax entered H2020 in 2018 with PICARD Phase 1 (feasibility), then scaled to PICARD Phase 2 in 2019 with substantial funding (EUR 1.75M), showing a classic SME Instrument progression from concept validation to market deployment. By 2020, they joined the ONCORNET2.0 research training network as a participant, broadening from purely commercial platform development into collaborative academic-industry research on chemokine receptors in cancer. This progression suggests a company moving from internal platform development toward becoming an established industry partner in receptor pharmacology networks.

Interax is expanding from a pure platform-technology company into an applied oncology partner, making them increasingly relevant for cancer drug discovery consortia.

How they like to work

Interax primarily leads its own projects — two of three H2020 grants were coordinated by them, both through the SME Instrument where they drove the agenda independently. Their participation in ONCORNET2.0 (a multi-partner MSCA training network with 9 consortium partners across 5 countries) shows they can also integrate into larger academic-industry consortia as a specialized technology contributor. This dual profile — independent when commercializing their platform, collaborative when applying it — makes them a flexible partner.

Through ONCORNET2.0, Interax connects with 9 partners across 5 European countries, embedded in a training network that bridges academic receptor biology labs with industry drug discovery. Their network is modest in size but focused on a tight scientific community around GPCR/chemokine research.

What sets them apart

Interax occupies a specific niche: they are one of few SMEs with a proprietary GPCR lead discovery platform that explicitly incorporates beta-arrestin pathway measurement, which is critical for identifying drugs with fewer side effects. Their successful progression through both SME Instrument phases (feasibility to scale-up) signals commercial viability validated by EU evaluators. For consortium builders, they bring a rare combination of deep receptor pharmacology expertise with a ready-to-use screening platform — not just knowledge, but operational capability.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PICARD
  Successfully progressed from SME-1 (EUR 50K) to SME-2 (EUR 1.75M), one of the competitive scale-up grants — strong market validation signal for their GPCR discovery platform.
• ONCORNET2.0
  An MSCA training network connecting academic and industry partners around chemokine receptors in cancer, showing Interax's recognition as an industry training host in receptor pharmacology.