Eurofins Discovery

What Eurofins Discovery does

Eurofins Discovery is a global contract research organization (CRO) that provides drug discovery and safety pharmacology services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients. Its core offerings span the preclinical pipeline, including comprehensive drug discovery services, safety assessment of drug candidates, and translational biology support, sold primarily through enterprise field sales on a project-based, quote-priced engagement model. The company is positioned as a horizontal services provider serving the broader pharma and biotech R&D segment rather than a vertical specialist in any single therapeutic area.

The company's underlying scientific stack centers on human-tissue-based assay development and safety pharmacology. In July 2022 Eurofins Discovery acquired DiscoveryBioMed, a CRO specializing in human bioassays developed from both diseased and normal human tissues, which added translational biology capabilities that are differentiated relative to standard preclinical CRO offerings. In April 2023 the company acquired Calixar for an undisclosed amount, further extending the service portfolio. Together, these acquisitions indicate a roll-up strategy focused on bolting on specialized scientific capabilities that complement the core drug discovery and safety pharmacology franchise.

Eurofins Discovery operates as a service line within Eurofins Scientific, a larger European testing and analytical services group, which provides global geographic reach and back-office scale. Revenue mechanics are professional services–driven, with project-based contracts and pricing not publicly disclosed. Headcount is reported in the 501–1,000 range, with primary operational sites documented at St. Charles (United States) and Birmingham, Alabama (inherited from DiscoveryBioMed). Customer logos are not publicly disclosed, and the segment approach is horizontal across pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D buyers.

Name

Eurofins Discovery

Website

https://eurofinsdiscoveryservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Eurofins Discovery is a global contract research organization providing drug discovery, safety pharmacology, and translational biology services—including specialized human bioassay development—to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drug Discovery & Contract Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Preclinical CROs (Discovery/Pharmacology/DMPK) (HLAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Toxicology & Safety Assessment CROs (GLP) (HLAGAAAC), Drug Discovery (Target ID/Validation & Hit Discovery) (HLAIALAA)

Keywords

• Drug discovery services
• Safety pharmacology
• Contract research organization
• Human bioassays
• Translational biology

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Charles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Contract Research Organization (CRO) Services: Eurofins Discovery generates revenue through providing drug discovery and safety pharmacology services as a contract research organization to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Services include developing human bioassays, translational biology support, and comprehensive drug discovery solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Eurofins Discovery is a global contract research organization (CRO) providing drug discovery and safety pharmacology services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Its portfolio spans target identification through preclinical testing, including human bioassay development from diseased and normal human tissues, translational biology support, and safety assessment of drug candidates. The portfolio has been expanded through acquisitions such as DiscoveryBioMed (human tissue-based bioassays) and Calixar.

Product overview

Eurofins Discovery operates as a global provider of drug discovery services, consisting of core service offerings including safety pharmacology services and human bioassay development. The portfolio was expanded through the acquisition of DiscoveryBioMed, which specializes in human bioassays from diseased and normal human tissues, enhancing translational biology capabilities for R&D support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drug Discovery Services
• Safety Pharmacology Services
• DiscoveryBioMed Human Bioassays

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DiscoveryBioMedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 July 2022Eurofins Discovery acquired DiscoveryBioMed, a CRO specializing in developing human bioassays from diseased and normal human tissues. The acquisition enhances Eurofins Discovery's portfolio of drug discovery services and supports translational biology for R&D. DiscoveryBioMed brings specialized capabilities in human tissue-based bioassays that complement Eurofins' existing drug discovery and safety pharmacology service offerings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Sai Life Sciences: India-based CRO offering drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, DMPK, and safety services. An emerging competitor in mid-tier discovery outsourcing that overlaps with Eurofins Discovery's core offering.

Direct peers

• Evotec: Germany-based drug discovery CRO and integrated R&D platform offering target identification, hit discovery, and translational biology. Closely comparable to Eurofins Discovery's discovery-plus-translational positioning.
• WuXi AppTec: China-based contract research organization with extensive drug discovery and preclinical safety pharmacology offerings. Competes head-to-head with Eurofins Discovery for global pharma/biotech discovery outsourcing dollars.
• Labcorp Drug Development (formerly Covance): Large CRO providing drug discovery, preclinical, and clinical development services. Overlaps with Eurofins Discovery in preclinical and safety pharmacology work, serving the same pharma/biotech customer base.
• Charles River Laboratories: Global preclinical CRO offering discovery, safety pharmacology, and DMPK services to pharma and biotech. Directly comparable to Eurofins Discovery across the early-stage drug discovery workflow, with a much larger commercial footprint.
• Pharmaron: China-headquartered CRO offering drug discovery, DMPK, safety pharmacology, and translational services. Comparable scale and service mix to Eurofins Discovery, increasingly winning global discovery outsourcing mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Thermo Fisher Scientific (PPD): Through its PPD acquisition, Thermo Fisher offers integrated discovery, preclinical, and clinical CRO services. A broad incumbent that competes for the same large-pharma discovery outsourcing engagements.
• IQVIA: Global life sciences services giant with discovery, preclinical, and clinical CRO capabilities. Larger and broader than Eurofins Discovery, but competes in the same outsourced drug discovery market.
• Eurofins Scientific: Parent organization and global testing services conglomerate within which Eurofins Discovery operates. Provides shared infrastructure, client relationships, and capital that fundamentally shape the division's positioning.

Regional players

• Syneos Health: Clinical and preclinical CRO with strong North American presence serving pharma/biotech. Competes for overlapping preclinical and translational work, though its historical emphasis has been more clinical-stage than pure discovery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eurofins Discovery