Drug discovery companies identify, validate and develop new therapeutic candidates for the prevention and treatment of disease. The sector combines biology, chemistry, data science and clinical expertise to bring new medicines from concept to clinic.
This category includes companies working on:
Browse 495 UK drug discovery companies below.
ECM-targeted drug discovery platform for fibrosis and solid tumours
Engitix is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics that target the extracellular matrix (ECM) in fibrosis and solid tumours. Its proprietary discovery platform integrates one of the largest ECM bioarchives with AI and machine learning to identify disease-specific targets and biomarkers.…
AAV gene therapy for Bardet-Biedl syndrome and genetic obesity
Axovia Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing adeno-associated viral gene therapies for inherited ciliopathies and genetic obesity. Its lead candidate delivers a functional BBS1 gene into retinal cells to investigate treatment of vision loss associated with Bardet-Biedl syndrome. A first-in-human, early…
C. elegans whole-organism platform for preclinical drug and compound screening
Magnitude Biosciences Limited is a contract research organisation providing preclinical drug discovery and compound screening services using Caenorhabditis elegans as a whole-organism model. Its proprietary biophotonics platform enables automated, high-throughput, non-invasive monitoring of health and lifespan metrics…
Genetically diverse iPSC models and high-throughput drug screening
Cytochroma is an Edinburgh biotechnology company producing genetically diverse human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived models for drug discovery and safety research. Its donor-matched panels include hepatocytes, cardiomyocytes and supporting cell types, enabling assessment of drug responses across different…
Molecular modelling and cheminformatics software for drug discovery
Chemical Computing Group is a scientific software company developing molecular modelling and cheminformatics tools for drug discovery. Its flagship software supports structure-based design, molecular docking, pharmacophore screening and simulations involving small molecules, peptides and proteins. Researchers use…
Engineered bacteria to remodel the tumour microenvironment
Neobe Therapeutics is a UK synthetic biology company developing programmable live biotherapeutics that colonise solid tumours and disrupt the local microenvironment to enable immune cell infiltration. The platform engineers tumour-colonising bacteria to break down stromal barriers that exclude immune cells, aiming to…
In vitro biology CRO for immunology and oncology drug discovery
BioMedha is a pre-clinical contract research organisation specialising in in vitro biology for early-stage drug discovery. The company provides assay development, target validation, compound screening, and mechanism of action studies across immunology, oncology, immuno-oncology, and inflammation therapeutic areas.…
Enzymatic wound debridement therapy derived from maggot biology
SolasCure is a biotechnology company developing a recombinant enzyme-based hydrogel for the treatment of chronic wounds. The lead product contains a protease cloned from medical maggots that degrades non-viable wound tissue including fibrin, elastin, and collagen to prepare the wound bed for healing. The product is in…
Antibody inhibitors of metzincin proteases for eye disease and cancer
Vasgen develops antibody therapeutics for eye disease and cancer, focusing on enzymes known as metzincin proteases. Its discovery platform uses monoclonal antibodies to inhibit these enzymes selectively, offering a different approach to targets that have proved challenging for conventional small-molecule medicines.…
Oncology biotech developing peptide therapeutics and diagnostics
ValiRx is a UK-listed biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of oncology therapeutics and companion diagnostics. The company selects and incubates novel drug candidates, including peptide-based compounds targeting prostate cancer, endometriosis, and other solid tumours, progressing them from preclinical…
Preclinical RNA medicines for chronic liver disease and fibrosis
Afortiori Bio is a preclinical biotechnology company developing RNA medicines for chronic liver disease, particularly liver fibrosis. Its lead programme uses Target Site Blocker RNA technology to selectively modulate gene expression in liver cells. The approach is intended to address processes contributing to fibrotic…
AI platform generating novel therapeutic proteins for biotech partners
Latent Labs is a UK-based developer of artificial intelligence models that generate entirely new therapeutic proteins not found in nature. Building on foundational AI protein-structure research, the company's platform designs proteins tailored to specific biological functions, aiming to expand the range of diseases…
Peptide discovery platform targeting cell-surface therapeutic targets
Orbit Discovery is a drug discovery company providing peptide lead identification services using a proprietary bead-based peptide display engine combined with microfluidic functional screening. The platform screens libraries of over one billion natural and non-natural peptides against challenging cell-surface targets,…
AI-driven neural data platform for bioelectronic medicine
BIOS Health is a neural engineering company developing an AI-powered platform that reads and interprets peripheral nervous system signals in real time. Its technology links nerve activity to physiological conditions through the discovery of neural biomarkers, supporting the development of personalised neuromodulation…
Preclinical and clinical CRO specialising in biomarker services
Epistem is a contract research organisation providing preclinical and clinical research services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Its capabilities span in vivo and in vitro preclinical models across oncology, gastrointestinal disease, dermatology, and autoimmune indications, alongside GCLP-accredited…
AAV gene therapy platform targeting podocyte-mediated kidney disease
Purespring Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech developing AAV-based gene therapies for chronic kidney disease. Its platform delivers therapeutic transgenes directly to podocytes, specialised cells implicated in the majority of renal diseases, enabling disease-modifying treatment of both rare monogenic and more…
Benchtop platform for rapid cell-free protein expression and screening
Nuclera is a Cambridge-based biotechnology company developing benchtop systems for rapid protein expression and screening. Its discovery platform integrates cell-free protein synthesis, digital microfluidics, and automated construct screening to deliver soluble, active proteins in under 48 hours. The system is…
Biomarker-guided therapeutics for psychosis-related cognitive impairment
Monument Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing stratified treatments for neuropsychiatric conditions. Its lead programme, MT1988, is being evaluated in people at clinical high risk of psychosis. A randomised, placebo-controlled Phase 1/2 study dosed its first participant in March 2026…
Small molecules improving ribosomal translation accuracy in ageing cells
Ribogenyx is a biotechnology company developing small-molecule therapies to improve protein synthesis accuracy in ageing cells. Its approach targets translational fidelity, the accuracy with which ribosomes translate messenger RNA into proteins. By reducing production errors, the company aims to preserve protein…
Mitochondrial sulfide-donor therapeutics for obesity and myopathies
MitoRx Therapeutics is a company developing first-in-class small molecule therapeutics that target mitochondrial sulfide signalling, a mechanism implicated in metabolic dysfunction and muscle disease. Its lead programme is an injectable mitochondria-targeted sulfide donor designed to achieve fat loss without lean mass…