20 Years of Pioneering Partnerships for Patient Impact - The Next Chapter Begins

From funding collaborative innovation to an expertise center for complex partnerships

Our story began in 2006 and 2007 with the launch of Top Institute Pharma (TI Pharma) and the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine (CTMM). These initiatives laid the groundwork for large-scale public–private collaboration in the Netherlands. Over time, biomedical innovation has become more complex. Data intensified, regulatory landscapes evolved, global challenges emerged.

In 2016, TI Pharma and CTMM merged into Lygature - uniting expertise across pharma and MedTech to professionally design, manage and strengthen multi-stakeholder collaborations. What began as stimulating collaboration with government funding matured into something more structural: a neutral organization dedicated to making partnerships work.

Strengthening national and European ecosystems together

Over two decades, Lygature has contributed to shaping innovation ecosystems. We supported the foundations of the Dutch Life Sciences & Health sector, helping build cohesion that later evolved into Health~Holland. We guided health foundations in navigating public–private partnerships and helped operationalize national initiatives such as the Oncode Institute.

At a European level, projects such as the European Lead Factory mobilized €230 million in public and private investment - transforming how drug discovery infrastructure can be shared across sectors. Our involvement in Innovative Medicines Initiative and Innovative Health Initiative programs, including IDERHA, reflects long-standing expertise in managing complex European public–private partnerships.

In 2025, the European Commission formally validated Lygature as a research organisation, recognising our role in 35 EU projects representing over €1 billion in collaborative research. These milestones illustrate more than growth - they demonstrate trust and continued commitment.

Translating collaboration into patient impact

Partnerships create value when they lead to real-world impact. From early global health initiatives focused on neglected tropical diseases to managing a €300 million antimicrobial resistance research portfolio, Lygature has supported collaborations that address urgent societal needs.

A defining milestone came in 2025, when children were treated for schistosomiasis with arpraziquantel through the Pediatric Praziquantel Consortium - an excellent example of a successful partnership. This moment captures what partnership-driven innovation ultimately strives for: tangible benefits for patients.

Enabling responsible innovation

Innovation today requires more than scientific excellence. It depends on robust data infrastructures, regulatory clarity and early engagement, patient and public involvement, and strong ethical frameworks.

Through initiatives such as TraIT, which formed one of the building blocks for Health-RI, Lygature helped shape interoperable and FAIR data infrastructures in the Netherlands. Across more than 10 European projects, over a decade, we have contributed to the foundations of the emerging European Health Data Space.

In regulatory science, the Regulatory Science Network Netherlands and the Non Biological Complex Drugs (NBCD) Working Group addressed challenges around complex medicines. Patient participation has become embedded in governance models, as demonstrated in the APPROACH project, where patients actively shaped decision-making. By expanding our expertise in health law, privacy and ethics, we continue to strengthen the responsible foundations of medical research collaboration.

The next 20 years: collaboration in an era of complexity

Healthcare innovation is entering a new phase: scientific breakthroughs accelerate, digital technologies reshape research, geopolitical shifts influence funding and regulation as societal expectations are growing. In this environment, successful partnerships are not optional - they are essential.

The need for a trusted, neutral organization with expertise that can bridge disciplines, sectors and interests is greater than ever. As we celebrate 20 years of pioneering partnerships for patient impact, we reaffirm our commitment to:

• Contributing our expertise to navigate complexity in medical innovation
• Designing and managing public-private collaborations
• Strengthening ecosystems at national and European level
• Embedding patient perspectives at the heart of innovation,
• Ensuring that partnership translates into measurable impact