Greener pastures for biopharma ? Biotechs in Ireland causing a stir  

Shamrocks, rolling green fields, and Guinness all quickly bring Ireland to mind. Beyond these postcard-ready images, Ireland has an economy on the upswing and is a preferred destination for some big pharmas. 

The low corporate tax policies of Ireland have managed to attract some big names from various sectors, and the life sciences industry is no exception. The U.S. pharma giant Pfizer has made considerable investment there in research and development (R&D) and manufacturing sites, having announced that it was investing €1.2 billion ($1.26 billion) into its Grange Castle site in Dublin three years ago.

The likes of GE Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, and other multinationals also have facilities in the country. Meanwhile, protein therapeutics company Prothena and neuroscience company Alkermes are examples of sizeable biopharmas that have Ireland as their corporate home. 

But the ecosystem in Ireland is also made up of smaller native biotech companies. Some are based on developments from academic centers, including the renowned Trinity College Dublin. Here are five biotech companies in Ireland that scored funding over the past five years and are going strong. 

SynOx Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2020
• Focus: Monoclonal antibody for tenosynovial giant cell tumor

Headquartered in Ireland, biotech company SynOx Therapeutics focuses its R&D on treating tenosynovial giant cell tumor, a rare non-cancerous tumor that results in the thickening and overgrowth of the tissues lining the joints and tendons. 

Although typically benign, if left untreated, as the tumors are locally aggressive, they can grow to damage surrounding tissues and joints. SynOx’s therapy has been created to address the root cause of the disease, which is the excessive production of a growth factor in the body called CSF-1, often due to a chromosomal mutation. 

The monoclonal antibody emactuzumab was designed to inhibit CSF-1 and has been found to do so in the clinic. The CSF-1 receptor, via its binding to two regulatory cytokines, CSF-1 and IL-34, is critically involved in the regulation of macrophages among other cells in multiple biological processes, making it an attractive target with broad therapeutic applications.  

Originally discovered and developed by Swiss pharma giant Roche, emactuzumab was licensed to SynOx to move into the clinic and potentially bring to the market. The antibody blocks the CSF-1 in order to enhance T-cell infiltration – the process where T-cells migrate from the bloodstream into tissues to perform their immune functions – and anti-tumor immune responses. 

Having nabbed fast track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in April, a phase 3 trial is ongoing where patients who cannot undergo surgery – regarded as the first line of treatment – will receive 1000 mg of emactuzumab every two weeks for five doses. Enrollment was completed in August. 

The Irish biotech raised $92 million in a series B funding round a year ago to back the current late-stage study. 

Shorla Pharma 

• Founded: 2018
• Focus: Small molecule for cancer

Having bagged FDA approval for its cancer drugs, Irish biotech Shorla Pharma has been gaining traction for its reinvented cancer medicines that are climbing the clinical ranks.  

Out of the four FDA approvals, its most recent one was for 15 mg and 100 mg muti-dosage of Tepylute, which is the brand name of the small molecule thiotepa. Tepylute was cleared to treat breast and ovarian cancers in April. It is an alkylating drug, that is to say, it is a chemotherapy that interferes with the DNA of cancer cells to halt cell division. 

As around 300,000 people are estimated to be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 20,000 people with ovarian cancer in the U.S. in 2025, according to the American Cancer Society, Tepylute’s FDA win means more standard of care options for patients. 

The ready-to-dilute vials of thiotepa – first developed as a freeze-dried powder in the 1950s – simplify a process called drug reconstitution wherein a liquid is added to drugs that are in their powdered forms to make a specific concentration of said drug. So, thiotepa in vial form makes it easier for it to be diluted to create the right dosage. 

Other Shorla drugs that have been greenlit include Nelarabine delivered intravenously for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma, the anti-inflammatory oral drug Jylamvo for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, mycosis fungoides – the most common type of T-cell lymphoma – as well as autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and severe psoriasis, and the oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor Imkeldi to treat blood cancers like chronic myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and myelodysplastic syndrome, as well as stomach cancers. 

Meanwhile, Shorla has two therapies in clinical studies, namely SH-110, which was designated orphan drug status by the FDA as an oral liquid formulation for people with glioma who have difficulty swallowing. Glioma is an aggressive cancer that begins in the brain and spinal cord. The other candidate being evaluated is PIP-110 for acute promyelocytic leukemia, a rare type of the blood cancer acute myeloid leukemia where immature blood cells don’t develop properly and instead, accumulate in the bone marrow. 

The Irish biotech startup scooped up $35 million in a series B funding round more than two years ago. 

Cosmo Pharmaceuticals 

• Founded: 1997
• Focus: Small molecule for autoimmunity and cancer

Situated in Dublin, Ireland, biotech company Cosmo Pharmaceuticals has been around for a long time. Founded in 1997, the company’s current pipeline is dedicated to treating a range of diseases from intestinal conditions to autoimmune ones and cancer. 

Most recently, its acne medicine Winlevi landed approval from regulators in Brazil following its approval in the European Union, South Korea, and Mexico. This comes five years after it was greenlit by the FDA.  

Winlevi, which contains the active ingredient clascoterone, is an androgen receptor inhibitor as it curbs the production of sebum – an oil waxy substance produced by the body – induced by androgen hormones. As acne vulgaris is one of the most common skin conditions and affects more than 90% of the global population at some point in their lifetime, the medicine represents a new class of topical therapies in more than 40 years. 

Clascoterone is also the active ingredient in Cosmo’s treatment for male pattern hair loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia. It affects up to around 50% of people and is characterized by the progressive loss of hair of the scalp any time after puberty, according to a report by the National Library of Medicine. Phase 3 trials began two years ago.  

It looks like clascoterone is Cosmo’s prized possession as it is also testing the therapeutic candidate against solid tumors including androgen-independent prostate adenocarcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma,a nd triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). 

Meanwhile, it is working with Japanese pharma Takeda to manufacture mesalazine – marketed as Lialda in the U.S. and as Mezavant in Europe – the latter’s candidate for ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease. 

Cosmo has also continued its partnership with Irish healthtech company Medtronic since 2023 to employ artificial intelligence (AI) in endoscopic care, which involves the use of a tube with a light and camera to diagnose gastrointestinal conditions. 

Nuritas 

• Founded: 2014
• Focus: Peptides for strength and sleep

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that have existed and evolved in nature, but their therapeutic benefits have only been uncovered of late, some of them being anti-inflammatory and speeding up the tissue healing process. 

Based in Ireland, biotech company Nuritas has discovered bioactive peptides, which are short proteins that are hidden in nature and naturally formed in the human body. These peptides act as messengers in the body and task cells in the body to do specific jobs including healing. According to Nuritas’ founder Nora Khaldi, who was named one of the eight dynamic women to watch in the deep-tech space by Silicon Republic, AI has been a significant part of the company’s peptide discovery process. 

One of its peptides is PeptiStrong, a muscle builder that is supposed to increase protein synthesis in the muscles. It works via two pathways to improve protein synthesis, reduce muscle breakdown, increase mitochondrial mass, and increases strength recovery.  

It also has a peptide formulation called PeptiSleep. Meant to promote sleep, it is essentially a 250 mg blend of bioactive plant-based peptides derived from brown rice and discovered using AI. Having been clinically tested, these peptides are designed to calm the body’s stress response and aid sleep.  

Ovagen 

• Founded: 2000
• Focus: Germ-free egg manufacture for yellow fever

As cases of yellow fever surge in South America, now more than ever there is a need for more affordable vaccines. Irish vaccine manufacturer Ovagen has devised a germ-free egg platform to eliminate bacterial contamination. 

A germ-free egg is completely free of bacteria. Germ-free chickens breed naturally, and scientists make sure that they are kept in conditions where pathogens aren’t lurking around. Some of these measures include filtering the air where the chickens live, sterilizing bedding, food, and water, employing an automated system for egg collection and packing, and maintaining maximum biosecurity.  

By doing so, this cuts the need for antibiotics in vaccine production and improves viral yield. This process minimizes the carbon footprint as fewer eggs are required to produce the same number of vaccines and decreases waste and costs that are linked to contaminated batches being thrown out. This in turn allows for more efficient and cost-effective production of vaccines, which can improve access for poorer nations. 

A study conducted by the U.K.-based research center Pirbright Institute found that Ovagen’s germ-free eggs produce dup to 1,350 times more yellow fever virus strain 17D compared to the conventional specific pathogen free (SPF) eggs. The latter has been regarded as the industry’s current gold standard for a long time. 

As part of its mission to carry out the manufacture of these eggs, Ovagen snagged a €2 million ($2.33 million) funding in a series A round last year. 

Biotech companies in Ireland: deals in the making 

Ireland’s life science sector has witnessed major growth in recent decades, and according to a report by NSF, 19 out of 20 major pharmas have set up shop in the country.  

Two months ago, two major deals were announced in the region. Irish Jazz Pharmaceuticals signed a licensing pact with Danish drug developer Saniona, gaining the worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the latter’s preclinical epilepsy candidate. 

The second notable deal is the $2.1 billion acquisition of Ireland-based Avadel Pharmaceuticals by fellow Irish company Alkermes. This allows Alkermes to reap the profits of Lumryz, Avadel’s FDA-approved treatment for excessive daytime sleepiness for patients older than seven years. Lumryz made $77.5 million over the third quarter of this year, a 55% jump from the third quarter of 2024.