Start-up Io Finds a [Re]purpose In Cancer, Autoimmune Disease

Like many other development-only biotech start-ups, Io Therapeutics Inc. has built a pipeline from drugs shelved or reprioritized by big pharma – in its case, Allergan Inc.

The advantages are clear. Io gets three compounds that all are well defined. "All have U.S. INDs [investigational new drug applications], all have GLP-toxicology data and we have GMP drug supply in hand," said Martin E. Sanders, chairman and CEO of the Santa Ana, Calif.-based firm.