Industry Leaders Announce World’s First Microphysiological Systems Industry Association

Key Takeaways

• IAMPS unites eight European MPS companies under one alliance
• Focus on regulatory acceptance, data sharing, and standardization
• Aims to influence EU funding and legislation for MPS
• Seeks to reduce animal testing via advanced NAMs
• Operational launch planned for Q2 2026

Summary

Eight leading European microphysiological systems companies have launched the Industry Alliance for Microphysiological Systems (IAMPS), the world’s first trade association dedicated to MPS technologies. IAMPS will represent organ‑on‑chip, organoid and related NAM developers, aiming to harmonize standards, promote data sharing, and influence EU funding and regulation. The board, led by NETRI’s Thibault Honegger, plans to become operational in Q2 2026. The initiative seeks to accelerate adoption of MPS as a strategic European technology and reduce reliance on animal testing.

Pulse Analysis

The microphysiological systems (MPS) market has matured from niche academic prototypes to a viable alternative to animal testing and two‑dimensional cell cultures. Yet the sector remains fragmented across dozens of start‑ups and larger biotech firms, each developing its own organ‑on‑chip or spheroid platform. By forming the Industry Alliance for Microphysiological Systems (IAMPS), eight leading European players create a unified voice that can coordinate standards, share data, and lobby policymakers, addressing the structural gaps that have slowed broader adoption. This collective framework also facilitates joint lobbying for EU policy alignment.

IAMPS has outlined five priority pillars: engaging with the EMA, FDA and other regulators to certify MPS data; building shared repositories that let pharmaceutical companies and CROs benchmark predictive performance; advancing qualification protocols and industry‑wide standards; ensuring Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund earmark resources for MPS scale‑up; and securing a reliable European biobanking network to reflect population diversity. Together, these actions aim to accelerate drug‑development timelines, lower costs, and fulfill the EU’s commitment to phase out animal experiments while strengthening the continent’s life‑science ecosystem. Such coordinated effort is expected to generate robust case studies that demonstrate MPS predictive accuracy across therapeutic areas.

The alliance also positions Europe to compete with well‑funded U.S. programs such as the NIH’s Complement Animal Research Experimentation initiative and the Standardized Organoids Modeling Center. By consolidating expertise and presenting a coordinated regulatory strategy, IAMPS can attract investment, expedite clinical‑trial de‑risking, and foster cross‑border collaborations that were previously hindered by fragmented standards. If successful, the association could become the de‑facto global hub for NAMs, driving innovation, reducing reliance on animal models, and delivering faster, safer therapeutics to patients worldwide.