ISTITUTO DI RICERCHE FARMACOLOGICHE MARIO NEGRI

Their core work

Mario Negri Institute is a leading Italian pharmacological research centre based in Milan, specializing in kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, toxicology, and epidemiology. They run and contribute to large-scale clinical trials (e.g., the SECURE polypill trial for cardiovascular prevention), develop animal-free toxicity testing methods using computational modelling and adverse outcome pathways, and investigate biomarkers for diseases like Alzheimer's and diabetes. Their work bridges fundamental molecular research with regulatory science and public health policy, including tobacco control and environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), Mario Negri focused heavily on kidney disease clinical trials, cardiovascular prevention, and foundational toxicology work — projects like NEPHSTROM, SECURE, and EU-ToxRisk dominated. From 2019 onward, their portfolio shifted toward computational and systems-based approaches: animal-free toxicity testing with AI/ontology methods (ONTOX, OBERON), multi-omics integration (metabolomics, transcriptomics, proteomics), and nanomedicine applications. There is a clear move from traditional clinical research toward data-driven, regulatory-science-oriented work that combines molecular biology with computational modelling.

Mario Negri is increasingly investing in animal-free safety assessment, AI-driven toxicology, and multi-omics data integration — positioning them as a go-to partner for next-generation chemical and pharmaceutical risk evaluation.

How they like to work

Mario Negri operates almost exclusively as a consortium partner (27 of 30 projects), with only one coordination role (CKD AKI, a small Marie Curie fellowship). They are a reliable specialist contributor who brings deep pharmacological and epidemiological expertise to large research consortia. With 381 unique partners across 30 countries, they are exceptionally well-networked and comfortable working in large, multi-national teams — a strong indicator that they integrate smoothly into complex EU project structures.

Extensively connected across Europe with 381 unique consortium partners spanning 30 countries, reflecting deep integration into the EU biomedical and toxicology research landscape. Their network is pan-European with no narrow geographic concentration.

What sets them apart

Mario Negri is one of Italy's most established independent pharmacological research institutes (founded 1963, non-profit), which gives them scientific credibility without commercial bias — a trait valued by regulators and public health bodies. Their rare combination of clinical trial experience, regulatory toxicology expertise, and epidemiological capacity makes them uniquely able to bridge the gap between laboratory findings and health policy. For consortium builders, they offer a partner who can handle both the molecular science and the population-level evidence needed to translate research into real-world impact.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SECURE
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 1.03M) — a major cardiovascular prevention trial testing a polypill strategy in elderly patients across multiple countries.
• ONTOX
  EUR 828K for an ambitious project combining ontology and AI to replace animal testing in toxicology — represents their strategic direction toward computational safety science.
• CKD AKI
  Their only coordinated H2020 project, a Marie Curie fellowship evaluating global kidney disease epidemiology — signals their core institutional strength in nephrology.