Oxeltis

Oxeltis is a contract research organization (CRO) specializing in medicinal and fine organic chemistry for the life sciences sector. Founded in 2010 in Montpellier, France, by former employees of Idenix Pharmaceuticals, the company provides integrated solutions to manage and execute chemistry projects for pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic research clients across Europe and North America. The co-founder and CEO is Jean-Marc Allaire, who previously served as V.P. of European operations at Idenix and has a background in clinical research and virology.

The company's business model is centered on providing services on a fee-for-service or full-time equivalent (FTE) basis, with options for risk or IP-sharing partnerships. Its core services include hit-to-lead optimization, custom synthesis, and route scouting for small molecules, with a focus on antivirals, oncology, and antibiotics. Oxeltis has particular expertise in complex chemistries, including macrocycles, nucleos(t)ides, mono- and polysaccharides, and PROTACs. The company supports drug discovery programs from initial design through to preclinical candidate selection and can scale up synthesis to 100g. Oxeltis operates from a 610 m² facility equipped with 44 fume cupboards and modern analytical equipment.

In May 2025, Oxeltis announced a strategic partnership with Molecular Forecaster Inc. to integrate computational design with its wet lab synthesis capabilities, aiming to accelerate preclinical drug design for clients. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and has an estimated annual revenue of $5.8 million.

Keywords: medicinal chemistry, contract research organization, custom synthesis, fine organic chemistry, hit-to-lead optimization, drug discovery, small molecules, nucleoside chemistry, macrocycle chemistry, antiviral research, oncology research, PROTACs, preclinical development, pharmaceutical services, biotech support, organic synthesis, chemical synthesis, lead optimization, route scouting, phosphoramidites