AlveoliX

AlveoliX AG is a Swiss-based biotechnology firm operating at the forefront of organ-on-a-chip technology. Founded in July 2015 as a spin-out from the University of Bern, the company was established by Olivier Guenat alongside co-founders Prof. Thomas Geiser and Prof. Ralph A. Schmid. The founding idea originated in 2010 with the concept of bio-engineering the human breathing motion to create more predictive in-vitro models. This led to a long-term partnership with the Inselspital, Switzerland's largest hospital group, and the ARTORG Center of the University of Bern. The company's headquarters are in Bern, Switzerland.

The core business of AlveoliX is the development and commercialization of in-vitro systems that replicate the physiological and pathological microenvironment of human organs. The company's primary clients include pharmaceutical companies, academic research institutions, and entities involved in toxicological assessments for chemicals, pollutants, and cosmetics. The business model centers on selling its proprietary organ-on-chip systems and establishing research contracts and partnerships with industry and academia. Revenue is generated through these sales and collaborations, as well as through grants from bodies like the Horizon2020 program and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

AlveoliX's flagship product is the AX Lung-on-Chip System, a platform designed to model the human lung's air-blood barrier with high fidelity. This system is composed of the AX12 consumable, which is based on a 96-well plate format, and controllers that simulate physiological breathing motions. A key feature is its proprietary ultrathin, porous, and elastic membrane that allows lung cells to be cultured in an environment that mimics their natural state, including the mechanical stress of respiration. This allows for the creation of healthy, diseased, and personalized in-vitro models using patient-derived cells, supporting research in diseases like COPD, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis. The technology provides a more accurate prediction of human responses to drugs compared to traditional 2D cell cultures and animal models, aiming to reduce drug attrition rates and the reliance on animal testing. The company is expanding its technology to model other organs, including the gut, skin, and brain.

Keywords: organ-on-a-chip, lung-on-chip, in-vitro models, preclinical drug development, respiratory diseases, animal testing alternatives, personalized medicine, drug discovery, toxicology testing, microfluidics, cell culture technology, biopharmaceutical research, air-liquid interface exposure, 3D cell culture, preclinical decision-making, drug safety screening, inhalation studies, human organ models, University of Bern spin-off, biotech