Intero Biosystems wants drugmakers to test on mini human intestines, not animals

Drug testing is now possible using human-like mini-organs instead of animals.

Intero Biosystems, a Denver-based startup, is developing lab-grown human intestinal organoids called GastroScreen to offer drugmakers an alternative to animal testing. These organoids, derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, mimic the structure and multiple cell types of the human gut. The company aims to provide a more human-relevant model for testing drug safety and efficacy, as well as studying disease mechanisms. Intero sells these organoids, along with necessary supplies, and also offers custom research services. Founded in 2024, the startup has seven employees and reported over $400,000 in revenue in the past year, supported by a $2.3 million pre-seed funding round. The U.S. FDA has encouraged the development and validation of non-animal testing methods, creating a more favorable regulatory environment for technologies like Intero's.

Intero Biosystems' approach, which leverages induced pluripotent stem cells, allows for potential scalability and personalization of organoid models, setting it apart from competitors. The company is currently undergoing validation, comparing GastroScreen's results with known drug effects in humans and aiming to match pharmaceutical companies' existing animal and clinical data. Beyond drug development, Intero sees an opportunity to generate biological data for AI models, with plans to license these datasets.

The increasing regulatory support for non-animal testing methodologies (NAMs) by the FDA, coupled with inherent limitations in animal models, creates a significant market opportunity for companies like Intero. As Intero scales production and refines its validation process, it moves closer to its long-term vision of personalized medicine and even an artificial intestine, potentially transforming pre-clinical drug development pipelines.