ZECLINICS SL

Their core work

ZeClinics is a Spanish biotech SME specializing in zebrafish-based preclinical screening and drug discovery services. They use zebrafish embryo models as high-throughput in vivo platforms to test drug candidates for cardiotoxicity, efficacy, and safety — offering pharmaceutical companies a faster, cheaper alternative to mammalian testing. Their expertise spans from toxicology screening to disease modeling in cardiovascular, neurological, and developmental biology domains, positioning them as a contract research organization (CRO) at the intersection of aquatic biology and pharma R&D.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ZeClinics began its H2020 journey (2017-2019) squarely focused on commercial drug safety — their flagship ZECARDIO project was a cardiotoxicity high-throughput screening platform, directly addressing the pharma industry's need to catch dangerous drug side effects early. From 2019 onward, their portfolio expanded significantly into fundamental biology: cardiac regeneration (REANIMA, ZeNewCardio), neuroscience (ZENITH), cell death mechanisms (VIDEC), and ciliary disease (SCilS). This shift suggests a deliberate strategy to deepen their scientific credibility and diversify their zebrafish platform beyond toxicology into therapeutic discovery and disease modeling.

ZeClinics is evolving from a pure screening service company toward a broader preclinical research platform covering cardiac, neurological, and developmental disease models — making them increasingly relevant for therapeutic discovery partnerships, not just safety testing.

How they like to work

ZeClinics coordinates their own commercial projects (ZECARDIO, ZeNewCardio) but primarily participates as a specialized partner in larger research consortia, especially MSCA training networks and RISE staff exchanges. With 75 unique partners across 19 countries, they are well-connected for an SME of their size, suggesting they are valued as a niche technology provider that academic consortia seek out for their zebrafish screening capabilities. Their heavy involvement in MSCA programs indicates they actively invest in researcher training and international knowledge exchange.

Extensive network of 75 partners across 19 countries, built primarily through MSCA mobility and training programs. This gives them unusually broad European and international reach for a small biotech company, with connections spanning academia, pharma, and clinical research.

What sets them apart

ZeClinics occupies a rare niche: they are one of very few European SMEs offering industrialized zebrafish screening as a service, bridging the gap between academic zebrafish research and pharmaceutical industry needs. Their dual identity — commercial CRO capability combined with deep involvement in fundamental research consortia — means they can offer partners both practical screening services and access to frontier biology. For consortium builders, they bring an in vivo testing platform that is faster and cheaper than rodent models, with real commercial validation through their SME Instrument funding.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ZECARDIO
  Their largest project (EUR 1.87M, SME Instrument Phase 2) — validates their commercial viability as a cardiotoxicity screening platform for the pharma industry.
• REANIMA
  Large RIA consortium (EUR 250K to ZeClinics) tackling heart regeneration — marks their expansion from safety testing into therapeutic discovery.
• ZENITH
  Interdisciplinary neuroscience training hub — demonstrates their value as a training host and their diversification beyond cardiovascular applications.