Swiss biotech going strong in 2025: 19 companies to put on your radar

With its beautiful landscapes of mountains and lakes, and its famous chocolate and cheeses, Switzerland is definitely worth a visit. But the country isn’t just a pretty face with good food, as the Swiss biotech industry counts many innovative companies.  Biotech companies in Switzerland are heavily invested in developing new cancer treatments and immunotherapies, with pharma giants Novartis and Roche playing the role of powerhouses in this space. Switzerland is also a hub for gene and cell therapy development and contributes to research on therapies targeting the aging process and age-related diseases, exemplified by Rejuveron Life Sciences’ impressive portfolio in the field.  

In this article, we present 19 biotech companies based in Switzerland worth keeping an eye on. 

Alentis Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2015
• Focus: Monoclonal antibodies and ADCs targeting Claudin-1 (CLDN1) for fibrosis and oncology
• Lead candidate: Lixudebart (ALE.F02) 

Based in Switzerland, Alentis Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech company developing first-in-class therapies that target Claudin-1 (CLDN1), a tight-junction protein abnormally expressed in fibrotic and cancerous tissues. By modulating CLDN1, Alentis aims to reverse organ fibrosis and inhibit tumor progression, a novel therapeutic strategy in both fields. 

The company’s lead candidate, Lixudebart (ALE.F02), is in phase 2 trials for advanced liver fibrosis and entering phase 2 studies in pulmonary fibrosis. In oncology, Alentis is advancing ALE.C04, a CLDN1-targeting antibody for solid tumors, and ALE.C07, a Claudin-1 ADC, both in early clinical testing. 

In November 2024, Alentis raised $181.4 million in a series D round to accelerate clinical development of Lixudebart and expand its oncology pipeline. With programs spanning fibrosis and cancer, Alentis continues to position CLDN1 as a new therapeutic target class. 

Aurealis Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2016 
• Focus: Engineering bacteria-mediated multi-target cell & gene therapies for chronic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers 
• Lead candidate: AUP-16

Aurealis Therapeutics uses a novel synthetic-biology platform in which a genetically engineered non-pathogenic bacterium (Lactococcus cremoris) acts as a local bioreactor within a wound site, producing human therapeutic proteins to promote tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and drive angiogenesis and epithelialisation. Its approach, described as “4-in-1” therapy, combines h-CSF-1, h-FGF-2, and h-IL-4 within a single active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) designed to address the multifactorial nature of chronic wounds. 

AUP-16 received the European Medicines Agency (EMA) PRIME designation in February 2024 for non-healing diabetic foot ulcers (nhDFU), an acknowledgment of both the unmet medical need and the potential of the therapy. The company announced the completion of patient recruitment in its phase 2 study in 2024 and presented preliminary data at the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) 2025. 

Bright Peak Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2017 
• Focus: Immunoconjugates combining checkpoint antibodies with cytokine payloads (engineered to enhance immunotherapy) 
• Lead candidate: BPT567 

Bright Peak Therapeutics is a Swiss-American biotech company that merges advanced protein engineering with immunotherapy innovation. Its proprietary platform creates “immunoconjugates,” antibodies that deliver cytokine payloads directly into the tumor microenvironment, marrying checkpoint inhibition (via PD-1/PD-L1) with local immunostimulation (via IL-18) to overcome resistance in solid tumors.  

The company’s BPT567 program illustrates its strategy: the antibody portion blocks PD-1 on tumor-infiltrating T cells, while the conjugated IL-18 payload selectively activates those same T cells, enhancing anti-tumor immune responses while limiting peripheral toxicity. In June 2024, Bright Peak secured a $90 million series C financing, led by Johnson & Johnson Innovation. In October 2024, the company announced dosing of the first patient in the phase 1/2a study of BPT567 for locally advanced/unresectable or metastatic solid tumors. 

CDR-Life 

• Founded: 2017 
• Focus: Antibody-derived T-cell engagers (TCEs) 
• Lead candidate: CDR404 

CDR-Life engineers compact, antibody-fragment-based T-cell engagers designed for extreme antigen selectivity and access to otherwise “undruggable” intracellular targets presented on Human Leukocyte Antigen/Major Histocompatibility Complex (HLA/MHC). Its proprietary M-gager platform uses large phage-display libraries to discover binders and assemble modular TCEs that redirect T cells to tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue; the company also applies the same technology to precisely target disease-driving immune cell populations in autoimmunity. 

The lead oncology asset, CDR404, is a first-in-class, antibody-derived TCE that recognizes MAGE-A4 peptides, aiming to bring the potency of T-cell redirection to solid tumors that express this cancer-testis antigen. A first-in-human phase 1 study is enrolling patients to assess safety and early activity in MAGE-A4-positive solid tumors; early preclinical work showed strong tumor killing with a favorable cytokine-release profile. 

Most recently, CDR-Life broadened beyond oncology with Boehringer Ingelheim: after multiple milestones on the partnered retinal program BI 771716, a CDR-Life-derived antibody fragment that advanced through phase 1 and into phase 2 for geographic atrophy, Boehringer licensed CDR111, a trispecific M-gager for autoimmune disease, in a deal valued at up to $570 million plus royalties. 

Cimeio Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2020 
• Focus: Developing “Shielded Cell & Immunotherapy Pairs” (SCIP), gene-edited hematopoietic cells resistant to paired immunotherapies
• Lead asset: Collaboration with Kyowa Kirin 

Cimeio Therapeutics is a Swiss biotech operating at the convergence of gene editing, cell therapy, and immunotherapy. Its signature “SCIP” platform engineers hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) with modified cell-surface epitopes so that the transplanted healthy cells retain full function while being shielded from destruction by a paired therapeutic that targets the unmodified epitope on diseased cells. The concept is that you can safely deploy high-potency immunotherapies without collateral damage to healthy blood/immune stem cells, opening a path to therapies in hematological malignancies, genetic disorders and autoimmune diseases. 

A key proof-point came in 2024: Cimeio published preclinical data showing that a CD45 ADC eradicated leukemic cells in vivo while shielded HSCs remained functional and unaffected. Then, in December 2024, the company announced a partnership with Kyowa Kirin, which grants Cimeio upfront research funding and milestone potential of up to $300 million for the development of SCIP-based therapies.  

Cutiss 

• Founded: 2017 
• Focus: Personalized, bio-engineered skin grafts for severe burns and reconstructive surgery  
• Lead product: denovoSkin 

CUTISS is a regenerative-medicine startup that develops autologous skin grafts by taking a small healthy skin sample from the patient, expanding it in vitro, and producing a full-thickness graft containing both epidermis and dermis. This approach is designed to overcome the limitations of conventional donor-site grafts, which often lack dermal tissue and result in scarring and functional deficits. 

The denovoSkin graft integrates into the patient’s body, grows with the patient, and promises reduced scarring and donor‐site morbidity. On the manufacturing side, CUTISS has developed the denovoCast automated bioreactor manufacturing platform to scale up production and improve cost-effectiveness. 

CUTISS closed a $69million (CHF56 million) series C financing round in September 2025, bringing total funding to over $154 million (CHF 125 million). The funds will be used to advance the ongoing phase 3 clinical trial of denovoSkin on adolescents and adults with severe burns and to industrialize its automated manufacturing platform. The company also announced a strategic collaboration with Rode Kruis Ziekenhuis (RKZ) in The Netherlands to establish its first international commercial production facility. 

FoRx Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2019  
• Focus: Precision oncology therapeutics targeting DNA replication stress (DRS) and DNA damage response (DDR) pathways 
• Lead candidate: FORX-428 

FoRx Therapeutics is a Swiss biotech company developing small-molecule drugs that target the DNA damage response, exploiting the vulnerability of cancer cells, which rely heavily on replication stress and repair mechanisms. Traditional DDR therapies (like PARP inhibitors) have demonstrated the power of this approach; FoRx’s lead asset FORX-428, a selective PARG (poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase) inhibitor, aims to push that concept further by blocking a next-generation repair enzyme.  

FoRx announced in August 2025 that it had dosed the first patient in a first-in-human phase 1 open-label study of FORX-428 in advanced solid tumors following IND clearance from the FDA in June.  

GlycoEra 

• Founded: 2021 
• Focus: Extracellular protein degraders targeting circulating or membrane-bound disease-driving proteins in autoimmune diseases 
• Lead candidate: GE8820 

Based in Switzerland, GlycoEra is a biotech company pioneering a novel modality: instead of blocking a target, its platform enables deep, selective degradation of extracellular disease-driving proteins. The core innovation lies in using bispecific biologics engineered to bind a pathogenic protein and a clearance receptor on hepatocytes, thereby routing the bound protein to the lysosome for destruction. This places GlycoEra in a differentiated position: while intracellular protein degraders have gained attention, GlycoEra focuses on the extracellular space, opening up a previously under-targeted therapeutic niche in autoimmune disease. 

The company’s lead asset, GE8820, attacks pathogenic IgG4 autoantibodies, implicated in diseases such as pemphigus, M-specific kinase myasthenia gravis (MuSK-MG), and primary membranous nephropathy. Preclinical data show rapid and profound depletion of IgG4 with high specificity, sparing other IgG subtypes and minimizing immunosuppression risk. In May 2025, GlycoEra announced a successful oversubscribed $130 million series B financing, led by Novo Holdings, to push GE8820 into first-in-human studies and advance a second program into the clinic. 

Haya Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2019  
• Focus: Targeting long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs)  
• Lead candidate: HTX-001 

HAYA Therapeutics aims to exploit the largely unexplored non-coding portion of the human genome, the 98% of DNA that does not code for proteins but regulates gene expression and cellular states. By deploying antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and RNA-guided therapies, the company is building a full-stack platform to identify lncRNAs that govern pathological fibrosis and cell-state transitions, going beyond simply inhibiting a protein to actually reprogramming the cell’s behavior. 

Its lead program, HTX-001, targets the lncRNA Wisper (Wisp2 super-enhancer-associated RNA), which is enriched in cardiac fibroblasts and has been shown pre-clinically to regulate fibroblast proliferation, extracellular matrix deposition and post-injury scar formation. In May 2025, HAYA closed a $65 million series A financing to advance HTX-001 into IND-enabling studies and expand its pipeline into pulmonary fibrosis, metabolic disease and other age-related disorders. 

ImmunOs Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2018 
• Focus: HLA-based multifunctional immunotherapies  
• Lead candidate: IOS-1002 

This Swiss biotech company is focused on developing therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Their approach involves using HLA molecules to create new treatments that can boost the body’s immune response to fight diseases. ImmunOs creates proteins that can attach to multiple targets on cancer cells. These proteins can block certain checkpoints that usually prevent the immune system from attacking cancer cells. By blocking these checkpoints, the immune system can recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively. 

IOS-1002, the company’s lead asset targets three specific checkpoints (LILRB1, LILRB2, and KIR3DL1) that inhibit immune responses. By blocking these checkpoints, IOS-1002 can enhance the activity of both the innate (natural killer cells) and adaptive (T-cells) immune systems to attack and kill cancer cells. IOS-1002 is currently in phase 1a/b clinical trials. 

IOS-1002, is now showing early clinical promise: In October 2025 ImmunOs reported that in its phase 1 study, patients with PD-1/PD-L1 resistant advanced solid tumors 71% achieved disease consisting of 61% stable disease and 10% partial responses including one confirmed complete metabolic response.  

ImmunOs Therapeutics has raised $74 million in a series B funding round in 2022 and closed a $11 million series C round in 2024. 

iOnctura 

• Founded: 2017
• Focus: Precision oral small-molecule therapies targeting the tumor-stroma-immune interface in hard-to-treat cancers   
• Lead candidate: roginolisib  

Spun out from Merck in 2017, iOnctura develops cancer and fibrosis treatments. iOnctura’s approach targets the tumor stroma interface, which is critical in enabling tumor cells to escape immune detection and resist treatments. 

The company’s lead candidate, roginolisib, is a small molecule drug that blocks a protein called PI3K delta, which is active in many types of cancers. While there are several PI3K inhibitors on the market and in development already, iOnctura’s drug is the first to target solid tumors. It has shown promising results in phase 1b trials, demonstrating potential as a monotherapy and in combination treatments. The drug received orphan drug designation from the FDA for uveal melanoma and is on track to start phase 2 clinical trials. 

In 2024, four years after raising $16 million in a series A round, the Swiss biotech company closed its series B round just under $86 million (€80 million). In addition, the company expanded its global clinical footprint; in September 2025, it reported initiation of US trial sites for roginolisib in metastatic uveal melanoma and other solid tumor indications.  

Muvon Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2020
• Focus: Autologous muscle precursor cell (MPC) therapy  
• Lead candidate: MPC injection therapy  

Muvon Therapeutics is a spin-off from the University of Zurich. The company is developing a personalized cell therapy that uses the patient’s own cells to regenerate skeletal muscle tissue. Its technology allows for the targeted isolation of muscle tissue cells called muscle precursor cells, which are expanded outside of the body and then injected back into the patient where it can regenerate muscle tissue.  

The company’s main focus is the development of a treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women. The company successfully completed the phase 1 clinical trial of its SUI and the phase 2 trial is ongoing. 

Neurosterix 

• Founded: 2024 
• Focus: Allosteric small-molecule modulators targeting neuropsychiatric disorders
• Lead asset: M4 PAM  

Neurosterix is a Geneva-based neuroscience company spun out from Addex Therapeutics, leveraging two decades of expertise in allosteric modulation of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The company is building a pipeline of precision-engineered small molecules designed to fine-tune receptor signaling, an approach that aims to improve efficacy and tolerability compared with traditional orthosteric drugs. Its lead programs include an M4 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) for the treatment of schizophrenia and an mGlu7 negative allosteric modulator (NAM) for mood disorders, both advancing toward IND-enabling studies. 

In April 2024, Neurosterix launched with $63 million in series A round led by Perceptive Advisors. The funds will support the transition of its lead M4 PAM program into clinical development and further expand its proprietary allosteric discovery platform. 

NewBiologix 

• Founded: 2023 
• Focus: Engineering stable cell lines and analytics for scalable production of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors 
• Lead candidate: NBX-HEK293 

NewBiologix emerged from stealth mode in 2023 with a $50 million series A funding round. The Swiss biotech company is addressing the manufacturing challenges associated with producing recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors, which are commonly used in gene therapies. By improving the efficiency and scalability of these production processes, NewBiologix aims to make gene therapy more accessible and cost-effective. 

NewBiologix develops cell lines and bioinformatics platforms to enhance the production of viral vectors. rAAV vectors are the preferred vehicles for delivering gene therapies due to their safety and effectiveness. NewBiologix focuses on optimizing the production of these vectors using engineered cell lines. 

NBX-HEK293 is NewBiologix’s proprietary engineered host cell line designed for the production of rAAV vectors. It offers improved transfection efficiencies, robust growth properties, and higher rAAV titers compared to traditional HEK293 cell lines. The company also works on developing mammalian cell lines (CHO) for broader applications in gene therapy. The Swiss biotech recently licensed its cell line to Recipharm Advanced Bio. 

Nouscom 

• Founded: 2015 
• Focus: Viral-vector cancer vaccines
• Lead candidate: NOUS-209 

Nouscom is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing cancer immunotherapies. The company specializes in both off-the-shelf and personalized cancer vaccines that leverage engineered viral vectors to target tumor neoantigens, aiming to induce potent anti-tumor T cell responses. The company recently raised $72 million in a series C round. 

Nouscom’s core technology revolves around the use of viral vectors to deliver large strings of tumor-specific neoantigens. These neoantigens are proteins produced by tumor cells due to mutations and are not found in normal cells, making them ideal targets for cancer vaccines.  

The Swiss biotech company’s lead asset is an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine targeting metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with mismatch repair/microsatellite instability (MSI). The company recently reported positive data from NOUS-209’s phase 2 clinical trial, where it is being tested in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda).  

Nouscom is also developing NOUS-PEV, a personalized vaccine tailored to each patient’s unique tumor mutanome, encoding multiple neoantigens specific to the individual’s cancer.  

Numab Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2007  
• Focus: Multi-specific antibody therapeutics for oncology and inflammatory diseases 
• Lead asset: $1.25 billion licensing agreement with Johnson & Johnson for NM26

Numab Therapeutics is a Swiss biotech company specializing in the design of multi-specific antibodies, engineered proteins capable of engaging multiple disease pathways at once. The company’s proprietary λ-Cap and MATCH platforms enable rapid and modular assembly of complex antibody architectures with enhanced stability, manufacturability, and pharmacological precision. This approach allows Numab to generate antibody combinations that can both modulate immune responses and target disease-specific receptors, addressing limitations of conventional monoclonal antibody therapies.  

In one of Switzerland’s biggest biotech deals of 2024, the biotech company signed a $1.25 billion licensing agreement with Johnson & Johnson for NM26. NM26 simultaneously blocks IL-4Rα and IL-31, two cytokine receptors implicated in atopic dermatitis, offering dual anti-inflammatory and anti-itch mechanisms. 

Building on this momentum, in January 2025, Numab announced the completion of an oversubscribed $222.2 million (CHF 180 million) series C financing, which included a $55 million (CHF 50 million) extension. The funds will support expansion of its immunology and oncology pipeline, including internal assets such as NM32, a ROR1-targeting T-cell engager now advancing toward clinical evaluation. 

SixPeaks Bio 

• Founded: 2022 
• Focus: Developing next-generation therapies for weight loss and muscle preservation 
• Lead asset: ActR2A/B 

SixPeaks Bio is a startup that is positioning itself at the intersection of obesity treatment and muscle-mass preservation. Recognizing that many current weight-loss therapies, particularly the incretin/GLP-1 class, result in unintended skeletal muscle loss alongside fat reduction, the company has developed a bispecific antibody against activin IIA/B receptors designed to protect or increase muscle mass during weight-loss interventions. Their technology also includes conjugation of this antibody with GLP-1 peptides, offering a combined approach of fat reduction plus muscle preservation. 

The company launched from stealth in May 2024 with significant financial backing: $30 million in series A and an exclusive collaboration with AstraZeneca providing up to $80 million in committed capital. Under the terms of that collaboration, AstraZeneca acquired participation in the series A and obtained rights, including an option to acquire SixPeaks upon IND submission for the lead asset. While no clinical trial data have yet been publicly reported, SixPeaks aims to move its lead bispecific antibody or conjugate into IND-enabling work imminently, targeting the huge market for healthier, safer weight-loss treatments that maintain lean mass and improve long-term outcomes. 

Key upcoming milestones include IND filing for the activin IIA/B bispecific antibody; presentation of preclinical or early clinical data validating muscle-mass preservation; expansion of the pipeline beyond the lead asset; and whether the acquisition option by AstraZeneca is exercised. 

Synendos Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2019  
• Focus: Selective Endocannabinoid Reuptake Inhibitors (SERIs) 
• Lead candidate: SYT-510 

Synendos Therapeutics is a spin-off from the University of Bern and the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research TransCure. The company leverages the modulation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) to restore the natural functioning of the brain, addressing conditions characterized by dysregulated ECS signaling. 

The Swiss biotech company is developing a new class of small-molecule drugs called selective endocannabinoid reuptake inhibitors (SERIs) that can restore the normal functioning of the endocannabinoid system in the brain. SERIs can be used to treat neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety, mood, and stress-related indications, like post-traumatic stress disorder. 

SYT-510 is Synendos’ lead drug candidate and the first in its class of SERIs. The company announced in September 2025 that phase 1 trials were completed, showing excellent safety and tolerability, central nervous system penetration, and EEG changes consistent with anxiolytic activity. Synendos now plans to move rapidly into phase 2 trials in patients with anxiety disorders and PTSD. 

Tolremo Therapeutics 

• Founded: 2016 
• Focus: Targeting non-genetic drug-resistance in cancer t 
• Lead candidate: TT125-802 

Tolremo Therapeutics has developed a drug discovery technology that can identify targets on drug-resistant cancer cells. Based on these findings, the company designs small molecule therapies against these targets. Unlike other therapies that target drug-resistant cancers, Tolremo’s small molecules aim to kill drug-resistant cancer cells at the start of cancer therapy and can be used in combination with traditional cancer treatments to improve patient survival. 

The Swiss biotech company’s approach involves targeting transcriptional resistance pathways that allow cancer cells to evade treatment from the very first dose. Its lead compound, TT125-802, is an orally available, selective small molecule inhibitor that blocks the transcription of genes involved in early cancer cell resistance to targeted therapies. This approach helps to dismantle the cancer cells’ defense mechanisms before they can fully develop, preventing the emergence of drug resistance . The drug is currently in a phase 1 clinical trial. 

In June 2025, the company announced that TT125-802 is the first CBP/p300 bromodomain inhibitor to show evidence of clinical activity in solid tumors, including deep responses in EGFR-mutant and KRAS-G12C mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with a “best-in-class” safety profile, setting up combination trials next. Most recently, in August 2025, TT125-802 received two FDA Fast Track Designations for the treatment of advanced/metastatic NSCLC in EGFR and KRAS-G12C subgroups.  

In September 2023, Tolremo secured $39 million in a series A funding round led by BioMedPartners.  

Switzerland, a key player in the biotech industry 

As 2025 closes and we look ahead to 2026, Switzerland’s biotech industry remains a model of resilience and innovation. According to the Swiss Biotech Association’s Swiss Biotech Report 2025, the sector generated  $8.9 billion (CHF 7.2 billion) in revenue in 2024, just slightly down from $9.2 billion (CHF 7.3 billion) in 2023. Meanwhile, R&D investment climbed to $3.2 billion (CHF 2.6 billion), up from $2.97 billion (CHF 2.4 billion) in the prior year. One of the most encouraging signals: Swiss biotech companies raised a record $3.1 billion (CHF 2.5 billion) in capital in 2024, a 22 % increase over 2023, with private companies alone accounting for $1.03 billion (CHF 833 million) of that. 

Beyond the numbers, three key themes emerge for Switzerland’s biotech year. First: global partnerships and collaborations remain central. The report notes that four out of five biotech patents filed in Switzerland stem from international collaboration, underscoring the country’s outward-looking strength. Second: deep-tech scaling and CDMO are increasingly important; Switzerland’s biotech ecosystem is not just drug discovery but also enabling infrastructure for global pharma. Third: despite macro headwinds, the ecosystem continues to generate sizeable funding rounds and meaningful deals, showing that high-quality Swiss biotechs can secure global investor and partner validation.