Inserm Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease, University of Strasbourg

What Inserm Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease, University of Strasbourg does

The Inserm Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM, Inserm U1110) is a joint research unit of Inserm and the University of Strasbourg, founded in 2011 and directed by Prof. Thomas Baumert. It is a non-profit public research organization of roughly 18 employees based in Strasbourg, France, dedicated to understanding the biology of liver disease — including fibrosis, cirrhosis, viral hepatitis (HBV/HCV/SARS-CoV-2), metabolic liver disease, and liver cancer — and translating that understanding into therapeutics. ITM operates a set of proprietary platforms: patient-derived liver spheroids for in-vitro disease modeling, patient-derived animal models (A3/AEPIC), a BSL3 laboratory for infectious-disease work, and a Translational Medicine/Bioinformatics Platform that integrates single-cell RNA-Seq, spatial transcriptomics, epigenetics, and proteomics pipelines with clinical annotations. These platforms sit at the core of a translation pipeline that runs from target discovery (notably Claudin-1) through in-vivo validation to first-in-class antibody candidates and clinical-stage assets.

ITM's business model is that of a publicly funded translational research unit. Direct revenue comes from competitive research grants (ANR, ERC Advanced — FIBCAN, NIH, ARC, ANRS MIE) and European instruments (Horizon Europe — D-SOLVE, GA 101057917), supplemented by program-specific French instruments (DELIVER RHU coordinated with Strasbourg University Hospitals). Indirect value capture runs through technology licensing and a 2019 spin-off, Alentis Therapeutics, which commercializes ITM's Claudin-1 monoclonal antibody IP for liver fibrosis and cancer. Fee-for-service and collaborative work is conducted with industry partners including Guerbet and with clinical counterparts such as Strasbourg University Hospitals, IHU Strasbourg, IGBMC, and AP-HP Bobigny. Awards and leadership honors (Inserm Prize 2023, FRM 2025, Fondation Force 2026, Nizaprev Fondation Force Trophées 2024) reinforce the institute's competitive positioning within the European translational-research landscape.

In early 2025 ITM launched the TheraHCC 2.0 program together with PANCLAU (€450K) and PACMAN (€150K), extending the Claudin-1 antibody platform into pancreatic cancer, and in 2024 it joined the ENACT AI cluster partnership to embed machine-learning capabilities into its translational pipelines. These moves sit alongside continuing participation in the D-SOLVE Horizon Europe consortium and the multi-partner DELIVER RHU program, signaling a deliberate expansion of therapeutic scope and a deeper integration into Strasbourg's biomedical ecosystem.

Name

Inserm Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease, University of Strasbourg

Legal name

Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM)

Website

https://liverstrasbourg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ITM (Inserm U1110) is a University of Strasbourg public research institute (18 staff) that studies liver disease and cancer biology, builds patient-derived spheroid and animal models, and translates targets — notably Claudin-1 antibodies commercialized via spin-off Alentis Therapeutics — into clinical therapies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Translational Biomedical Research

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAKAEAB

Hepatology & Liver Disease

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Gastroenterology & Hepatology

SECONDARYHLAKAGAC

Hepatology (Viral Hepatitis)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Specialist Medical Practice/Infectious Disease

SECONDARYHLAIAAAI

Gastroenterology & Hepatology Pharmaceuticals

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Pharmaceuticals/Branded (Innovator) Pharmaceuticals

SECONDARYHLAAAMAI

Molecular Pathology & Tissue Biomarkers (IHC/ISH, digital pathology-linked markers)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Biotechnology & Biologics/Biomarkers and Companion Diagnostics

Keywords

• Translational medicine research
• Liver disease therapeutics
• Cancer biomarker discovery
• Monoclonal antibody development
• Patient-derived disease models

Headquarters

HQ city

Strasbourg

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Public Funding: Major funding from French Research Agencies ANR and ANRS, European Union, European Research Council (ERC), ARC Foundation, US National Institute of Health (NIH), Inserm, and Foundation of the University of Strasbourg. Key programs include RHU DELIVER (ANR), ERC Advanced Grant FIBCAN (Horizon 2020), Horizon Europe D-SOLVE, LabEx HepSYS, ITI IMCBio+, ENACT AI Cluster.
2. Technology Licensing and Spin-off Royalties: Spin-off company Alentis Therapeutics commercializes monoclonal antibodies discovered in the institute's laboratories. Prof. Thomas Baumert founded Alentis in 2019 to ensure clinical development of Claudin-1 specific antibodies currently in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials for fibrosis and cancer.
3. Fee-for-Service Research Collaborations: The institute provides access to facilities and services to external users through collaborations or fee-for-service agreements. High standard facilities have been repeatedly called upon by industry and world-class research leaders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease (ITM) is a joint research unit (Inserm U1110) under the dual supervision of the University of Strasbourg and Inserm that investigates liver disease biology and discovers novel therapeutics and biomarkers for liver diseases and cancer, translating them into clinical applications. It operates four interconnected research platforms (patient-derived liver spheroids, translational medicine/bioinformatics, BSL3 virology, and patient-derived animal models) and conducts grant-funded research programs targeting liver fibrosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatitis B and D, and pancreatic cancer.

Product overview

ITM is a joint research institute of the University of Strasbourg and Inserm (Inserm U1110) focused on liver disease biology, therapeutic discovery, and translation to clinical applications. It operates as a multi-platform research institute — not a commercial product company — offering scientific services, collaborative research programs, and proprietary therapeutic candidates. The core infrastructure consists of four interconnected platforms: patient-derived liver spheroid models, translational medicine/bioinformatics (encompassing single-cell omics, AI/ML analysis, and NanoString-based drug screening), a BSL3 virology laboratory, and patient-derived animal models (A3/AEPIC). These platforms serve both internal research and external collaborations with industry and academic partners. The institute's therapeutic pipeline centers on Claudin-1 specific monoclonal antibodies developed in partnership with spin-off Alentis Therapeutics, currently in clinical trials for fibrosis and cancer. Major research programs include FIBCAN (ERC Advanced Grant), DELIVER (ANR RHU), D-SOLVE (Horizon Europe), TheraHCC 2.0 (ARC), PANCLAU/PACMAN (pancreatic cancer), Nizaprev (Fondation Force), and DELTArget (ANR JCJC), alongside the foundational HepSYS LabEx/IdEx and ITI IMCBio+ cluster. Technology transfer is facilitated through SATT Conectus and startup incubators SEMIA and Baselaunch.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HepSYS: Laboratory of Excellence program focused on functional genomics of viral hepatitis and liver disease
• IMCBio+

Products and services

• Patient-Derived Liver Spheroid Platform Generates and supplies cutting-edge patient-derived liver spheroid and organoid models for high-quality translational research on liver and biliary fibrosis as well as liver and gastrointestinal cancers; available to external academic and industry users.
• Translational Medicine / Bioinformatics Platform Models cell circuits in human disease biology by integrating cell, animal, and patient data; capabilities include single-cell transcriptomics and proteomics, ChIP-seq/DNA-seq/RNA-seq, functional gene pathway enrichment, NanoString-based genome-wide drug screening, and machine learning/AI for therapeutic target discovery.
• BSL3 Laboratory Platform Biosafety Level 3 laboratory providing safe containment for production and manipulation of HCV, HBV, HIV, and SARS-CoV-2, equipped with six class II biological safety cabinets, an automated Biomek NXP workstation, Mithras LB 940 multimode microplate reader, and SONY cell sorter; accessible to external users.
• Patient-Derived Animal Models / A3 Platform (AEPIC) Animal facility with A3 zone and specific pathogen-free areas for small animal research; develops and maintains human liver chimeric mouse models and patient-derived xenograft models for liver disease and viral infection research.
• Claudin-1 Specific Monoclonal Antibodies (Alentis Therapeutics) Highly potent and safe monoclonal antibodies targeting Claudin-1 for liver fibrosis and cancer treatment, discovered and characterized at ITM; currently in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials as single agent or in combination therapy; commercialized by spin-off Alentis Therapeutics founded in 2019.

Quantifiable outcome

• Claudin-1 specific monoclonal antibodies are currently in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials for liver fibrosis and cancer treatment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Alentis TherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Founded by Prof. Thomas Baumert in 2019 to commercialize and ensure clinical development of Claudin-1 specific monoclonal antibodies discovered in the institute's laboratories. These antibodies are currently in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials for liver fibrosis and cancer treatment as single agents or in combination therapy.
• SATT ConectuscoreTechnology or IntegrationOrganization for accelerating technology transfer in the Alsace region. Works with the institute to commercialize therapeutic compounds and diagnostic tools developed through research.
• SEMIAsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStartup incubator in Strasbourg that the institute actively interacts with to commercialize innovations through spin-off companies.
• BaselaunchsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStartup incubator in the Basel region that the institute interacts with to commercialize innovations through spin-off companies.
• Alsace BiovalleysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench world-class biocluster dedicated to therapeutic innovations. The institute is an active member and partner.
• IHU StrasbourgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in RHU DELIVER program combining patient-derived models with imaging technologies and AI for therapeutic innovation in advanced liver fibrosis and HCC. Also partner in TheraHCC 2.0 program.
• Strasbourg University HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical collaboration partner in HepSYS LabEx program and DELIVER program. Part of the Strasbourg competitiveness cluster ecosystem.
• AP-HP Bobigny and University Sorbonne Paris NordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in RHU DELIVER public-private R&D program for advanced liver fibrosis and HCC therapeutic innovation.
• GuerbetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical imaging leader partner in DELIVER program combining patient-derived models, imaging technologies with AI and patient cohorts for therapeutic innovation.
• Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for systems biology and computational analyses. Prof. Baumert spent an academic year as research scholar at the Broad Institute.
• Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaborations for liver disease research. Prof. Baumert was a fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
• UTSW Dallas (Yujin Hoshida's team)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding collaboration on NIH NCI funded study to systematically identify molecular liver cancer risk drivers and develop cancer risk biomarker assays.
• German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), HeidelbergsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative workshop on liver disease and cancer conducted with Prof. Mathias Heikenwälder's team.
• University of Tübingen (M3 Institute)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with liver disease and cancer specialists.
• CIRI LyonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with experts in HBV and HDV virology.
• Hanover Medical School and Hamburg University HospitalssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on HBV and HDV virology research. Also partner in D-SOLVE Horizon Europe project coordinated by CiiM in Hannover.
• Stanford University Medical SchoolsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCV/SARS-CoV-2 vaccine collaboration.
• Oxford UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research on HBV, HCV, and SARS-CoV-2.
• University of FreiburgsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on optimizing innovative models for HBV cccDNA study and characterization of host factors. Also part of ongoing programs with Freiburg University Hospitals.
• University Hospital Basel and Geneva University HospitalssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing research collaboration programs.
• Hiroshima University HospitalssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing research collaboration programs.
• University of LeuvensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing research collaboration programs.
• University of Nebraska Medical CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing research collaboration programs.
• University of TorontosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing research collaboration programs.
• IGBMC (Illkirch, France)supportingTechnology or IntegrationHigh-throughput screening platform collaboration with IGBMC for drug and target discovery in HBV and HDV research.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Vir Biotechnology: Clinical-stage immunology biotech with HBV, hepatitis D, and infectious disease programs. Comparable as a peer organization developing therapeutics for chronic viral hepatitis including HDV, intersecting with ITM's discovery mission.

Direct peers

• Institut Curie: French public research center combining cancer research, hospital, and technology transfer. Highly comparable to ITM as a French peer institute with integrated basic/translational research, hospital affiliation, and spin-off pathway.
• Institut Pasteur: Leading French biomedical research institute focused on infectious diseases, immunology, and translational medicine. Comparable as a peer public research institute in France with similar grant-driven model, multi-platform infrastructure, and translational pipeline into biotech.
• IGBMC (Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire): Direct Strasbourg-cluster peer; major French/Inserm biomedical research institute collaborating with ITM on high-throughput screening for HBV/HDV. Comparable as co-located French translational research partner with shared platform access.
• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: Genome biology and computational medicine institute where Prof. Baumert spent an academic year as research scholar. Comparable in combining patient-derived biology with single-cell omics, AI/ML, and translational pipelines to therapeutic discovery.
• Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research: Public German research center focused on infectious disease including HBV/HDV. Coordinates the D-SOLVE Horizon Europe program in which ITM participates. Comparable peer in translational virology research with grant-funded operations.
• German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ): Germany's largest biomedical research institute focused on cancer, with deep programs in liver cancer, virology, and translational therapeutics. Prof. Baumert completed his doctoral thesis there. Comparable in mission, scale, and public-institute + industry translation model.
• Alentis Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech spin-off of ITM founded by Prof. Baumert in 2019 to commercialize Claudin-1 monoclonal antibodies. Currently running Phase 1/2 trials for liver fibrosis and cancer. Directly comparable as it commercializes ITM's core therapeutic asset in the same disease areas.
• EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory): Intergovernmental research organization in molecular life sciences with multi-platform infrastructure and translational pipelines. Comparable as a peer European public research organization operating multi-platform core facilities.

Broad incumbents

• Karolinska Institutet: Largest medical research university in Sweden with major programs in hepatology and translational medicine. Comparable as a peer public medical research institution with international collaboration networks and grant-driven operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/liverstrasbourg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Inserm Institute for Translational Medicine and Liver Disease, University of Strasbourg