Silphion Research

Silphion Research was a Dutch drug discovery company specializing in medicinal chemistry and lead optimization for small molecule therapeutics. Founded in 2001 as a spin-off from the University of Groningen, the company focused on challenging target classes such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and phosphodiesterases (PDEs). Silphion provided both internal drug discovery programs and contract research services to the global pharmaceutical industry, utilizing advanced computational chemistry tools. In January 2015, the company was acquired by Mercachem (now part of Symeres) to strengthen its integrated drug discovery offering. The acquisition integrated Silphion's expertise in hit-to-lead and lead optimization into Mercachem's broader chemistry services.