Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis
LIOS is a Latvian state-owned pharmaceutical research institute in Riga providing preclinical drug discovery and contract research services—including medicinal chemistry, custom synthesis, pharmacology, and analytical chemistry—to 55 global pharma and biotech partners. Founded in 1957, it employs 240+ scientists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1957
- HeadquartersRiga, Latvia
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis does
The Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (LIOS, legal name: Latvijas Organiskās sintēzes institūts) is a state-owned pharmaceutical and organic chemistry research institute founded in 1957 and headquartered at Aizkraukles Street 21, Riga, Latvia. Operating under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia, the institute employs 240+ scientific staff including 58 Principal Scientists, with total headcount in the 251–500 range. LIOS functions as the leading preclinical drug discovery and development centre in the Baltic states, with capabilities spanning organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, physical organic chemistry, molecular biology, and bioorganic chemistry.
The institute's core technology is an end-to-end preclinical drug discovery platform that integrates custom synthesis, medicinal chemistry and drug design, analytical chemistry, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology, process scale-up, and GMP analytics. Specialized capabilities include liposome technologies for drug delivery, in silico drug design, and natural products research. A major infrastructure investment underway is the establishment of the largest Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy Centre in the Baltics, built in partnership with CRMN Lyon and CERM/CIRMMP Florence under the Horizon Europe WIDERA MR LATVIA project. The institute's track record includes the development of 18 original drugs and over 100 innovative technologies.
LIOS generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) fee-for-service contract research (CRO services) delivered through its "LIOS for Industry" module to 55 global industry partners across the EU, UK, USA, and Switzerland, with 75% of customers maintaining partnerships for over 5 years; (2) public research funding from EU Framework Programmes (Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, MSCA, WIDERA), the European Regional Development Fund, and Latvian national programmes; and (3) technology transfer and licensing managed through its OSI Technology Transfer Division. Pricing is project-based and negotiated individually, with multi-year contracts. Named industry customers include Pfizer Process Development Centre, Merz Pharmaceuticals, CerSci Therapeutics, and Acousia Therapeutics. A notable outcome was the CerSci Therapeutics CT-044 non-opioid pain program, which progressed to human clinical trials and led to a corporate acquisition with a $52.5M upfront payment.
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis
- Legal name
- Latvijas Organiskās sintēzes institūts
- Website
- https://osi.lv
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1957
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- LIOS is a Latvian state-owned pharmaceutical research institute in Riga providing preclinical drug discovery and contract research services—including medicinal chemistry, custom synthesis, pharmacology, and analytical chemistry—to 55 global pharma and biotech partners. Founded in 1957, it employs 240+ scientists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pharmaceutical Contract Research (CRO) and Drug Discovery
- NAICS
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690), Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Chiral / Asymmetric Synthesis & Complex Chemistry Services (HLAGAHAE)
Keywords
Where Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Riga
- HQ country
- Latvia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Contract Research Services (CRO): LIOS for Industry module provides fee-for-service contract research to pharma and biotech companies globally. Services include custom synthesis, medicinal chemistry, analytical chemistry, pharmacology studies, and process development. Revenue is project-based and recurring through long-term partnerships (75% of customers partner for over 5 years).
- Public Research Funding / Grants: Major funding from EU Framework Programmes (Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020), European Regional Development Fund, and national Latvian research programmes. Multiple active EU projects including MR LATVIA (HORIZON WIDERA), BioTransform (MSCA), NATALION (WIDERA), WIDEnzymes, BioPhoT, SPRINGBOARD, and others.
- Technology Transfer and Licensing: The OSI Technology Transfer Department manages IP from internal research. The institute has been the birthplace of 18 original drugs and over 100 innovative technologies, some of which are licensed to industry.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Contract research services priced per project |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (LIOS) is a state research institute and contract research organization providing preclinical drug discovery and development services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. Its core offerings span Custom Synthesis, Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design, Analytical Chemistry, Pharmacology and Biological Studies, Upscale and Process Development, and proprietary Know-how Compounds, delivered primarily through the LIOS for Industry module. The institute also conducts basic and translational research in organic chemistry, molecular biology, and bioorganic chemistry, supported by EU and national research grants.
Product overview
The Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (LIOS) is a leading drug discovery and development centre in the Baltics offering a comprehensive platform of services across the drug development pipeline. The organization provides Custom Synthesis, Drug Design and Discovery (Medicinal Chemistry), Analytical Chemistry, Pharmacology and Biological Studies, Upscale and Development, and Know-how Compounds. The LIOS for Industry module serves as the dedicated interface for industry collaboration. With 68 years of experience, LIOS has produced 18 original drugs and over 100 innovative technologies, maintaining 240+ scientific staff including 58 Principal Scientists, and serving 55 industry partners globally with 75% of customers maintaining partnerships for over 5 years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LIOS for Industry: A module of LIOS offering services and fostering collaboration with industry partners for drug discovery and development.
- OSI Innovation Hub
- OSI fonds
- NIRI
Products and services
- Custom Synthesis Custom synthesis services for complex organic compounds tailored to specific research and industrial requirements; intended for pharmaceutical and biotechnology researchers who need bespoke molecular synthesis.
- Drug Design and Discovery (Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design) Comprehensive medicinal chemistry and drug design services to identify and optimize drug candidates across multiple therapeutic areas including anti-infective, anticancer, CNS, and cardiovascular indications; targeted at pharmaceutical and biotech R&D teams advancing preclinical assets.
- Analytical Chemistry Analytical chemistry services providing chemical analysis and characterization support for drug development and research projects; aimed at pharmaceutical R&D teams requiring quality and structural data.
- Pharmacology and Biological Studies Pharmacological and biological research services for evaluating drug efficacy, safety, and mechanism of action in preclinical development; intended for pharma and biotech teams advancing candidates toward IND-enabling studies.
- Upscale and Process Development Process scale-up and development services to transition laboratory synthesis to larger-scale production for clinical and commercial applications; targeted at pharmaceutical companies moving compounds from discovery to clinical supply.
- Know-how Compounds Access to proprietary compound libraries and innovative technologies developed by LIOS for drug discovery collaborations; intended for pharma and biotech partners seeking differentiated starting points for discovery.
- LIOS for Industry Industry-facing service module of LIOS offering specialized equipment access, scientific team expertise, and industry partnership programs to foster collaboration between LIOS and pharmaceutical/biotech companies; built on 68+ years of preclinical drug discovery excellence.
Quantifiable outcome
- CT-044 (non-opioid pain treatment, CerSci Therapeutics) progressed to human clinical trials and led to company acquisition with $52.5M upfront payment
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature6 records
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NIRI Project Partners (RTU, BIOR, EMBL, University of Dundee)corePartners in the €30 million Horizon Europe 'Teaming for Excellence' wastewater monitoring project: Riga Technical University (RTU), Institute of Food Safety Animal Health and Environment 'BIOR', European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), and the University of Dundee. The project will be implemented by NIRI (the merged OSI+BMC institute from June 2026) over six years.
- BioTransform Consortium (Horizon Europe / MSCA)coreLIOS is a member of the international BioTransform project consortium (Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions), investigating how the human gut microbiome transforms food bioactives and influences health. The consortium involves 16 partner organizations across 8 European countries, coordinated by the University of Antwerp. Includes Imperial College London, University of Graz, University College Cork, and Rīga Stradiņš University.
- MR LATVIA (CRMN Lyon & CERM/CIRMMP Florence)corePartnership with CRMN (Lyon, France) and CERM/CIRMMP (Florence, Italy) — globally recognized NMR centres — to establish Latvia's largest NMR Spectroscopy Centre at LIOS, the leading NMR centre in the Baltics. The initiative is supported by the European HORIZON WIDERA programme. Year one focused on knowledge exchange and best practice adoption.
- BioPhoT Consortium (Biomedicine and Photonics Research Platform)coreLIOS is the leading partner of the BioPhoT consortium, a national innovation platform funded by Latvia's Ministry of Economics. The platform bridges Latvian scientists with industry and investors, with 223 project applications received and 40 teams funded across two calls. Eight LIOS projects were funded in the first call. Partners include Latvian universities (Daugavpils, LBTAU, Ventspils Augstskola, Vidzemes Augstskola, JUĀMĀ), and international partners EIT Health and Hello Tomorrow.
- EU-OPENSCREEN (European Research Infrastructure Consortium)coreLIOS is the National Contact Point for Latvia's membership in EU-OPENSCREEN, a European research infrastructure for chemical biology and drug discovery. LIOS hosts EU-OPENSCREEN Assembly of Members meetings and collaborates with European partners including the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (Prof. Mark Brönstrup). Active participation in SPRINGBOARD (Horizon 2020 Twinning) project.
- Roche LatviaminorRoche Latvia participates in the BioPhoT Industry Challenge database, submitting technological needs that researchers can address through collaborative projects. This connects LIOS and Latvian researchers with a global pharma leader's innovation priorities.
- GSKminorGSK participates in the BioPhoT Industry Challenge database, defining technological needs for Latvian researchers to address. Connects LIOS with one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies for innovation collaboration.
- ABBminorABB participates in the BioPhoT Industry Challenge database, submitting technology challenges that Latvian scientists can help address, fostering cross-sectoral innovation at the science-industry interface.
- Saint-GobainminorSaint-Gobain participates in the BioPhoT Industry Challenge database, defining materials science and engineering challenges for Latvian researchers to address through innovation projects.
- SkanskaminorSkanska participates in the BioPhoT Industry Challenge database, defining construction and engineering technology challenges for Latvian researchers to address through innovation projects.
- Alliance4Life (10 CEE life science institutions)coreLIOS is a founding member of Alliance4Life, a consortium of 10 leading life science institutions from 9 Central and Eastern European countries (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia) aimed at bridging the innovation gap between EU15 and EU13 countries. Active in A4L_BRIDGE (4-year EU funded project) addressing health research and innovation performance disparities.
- EIT HealthminorEIT Health is an international partner of the BioPhoT platform, helping broaden Latvian researchers' access to the European innovation landscape and connecting them with the European health innovation ecosystem.
- Hello TomorrowminorHello Tomorrow is an international partner of the BioPhoT platform, helping Latvian researchers access the global deep-tech startup and innovation ecosystem and expand their reach beyond Latvia.
- WIDEnzymes ConsortiumcoreEU-funded project 'Widening Synergies for Novel Enzymes Development' involving collaboration across five European countries (Latvia, Slovakia, Greece, Italy, Spain) in enzyme engineering research. LIOS participates as a partner organization, hosting training schools and workshops on protein expression and characterization.
- NATALION (ERA Chair, HORIZON-WIDERA)coreHORIZON-WIDERA-2022-TALENTS-01 ERA Chair project focused on boosting natural products research at LIOS for innovation. Led by ERA Chair holder Stefano Donadio. Recruitment of the Natural Products Research group leader is underway as part of this project.
- TARGETWISE (ERDF Project)coreEuropean Regional Development Fund project 'Functional Omics Analysis of Metabolic Diseases to Advance Drug Discovery Research Excellence in LIOS'. Led by Prof. Maija Dambrova, the project involves recruitment of a PostDoc for the Metabolic Research Group, performing functional omics analyses of metabolic diseases to identify new drug targets.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis social profiles
Digital presenceLatvian Institute of Organic Synthesis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis
What does Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis do?
The Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (LIOS) is a state research institute and contract research organization providing preclinical drug discovery and development services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. Its core offerings span Custom Synthesis, Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design, Analytical Chemistry, Pharmacology and Biological Studies, Upscale and Process Development, and proprietary Know-how Compounds, delivered primarily through the LIOS for Industry module. The institute also conducts basic and translational research in organic chemistry, molecular biology, and bioorganic chemistry, supported by EU and national research grants.
Is Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis a public or private company?
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis founded?
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis was founded in 1957. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis based?
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis is headquartered in Riga, Latvia, in the Europe region.
How does Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Contract Research Services (CRO) is the primary driver. The others are public Research Funding / Grants and technology Transfer and Licensing.
Does Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis.
What industry is Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis in?
Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis's product category is Pharmaceutical Contract Research (CRO) and Drug Discovery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAHAE, Chiral / Asymmetric Synthesis & Complex Chemistry Services. Its NAICS code is 541690 and its SIC code is 8731.