The promise of breakthrough therapies 
rests on one critical unknown: will it work 
in humans?
The answer relies largely on animal 
models, an imperfect system that can add 
time and uncertainty when testing new 
medicines. Intero Biosystems believes 
there is a better way. 
Founded by Madeline Eiken, Ph.D., and 
Charlie Childs, Ph.D., both named to 
the Forbes 30 Under 30 List in 2026, 
the company is redefining how drug 
developers predict human response by 
replacing traditional preclinical testing 
models with human intestinal organoids.
From its headquarters at Fitzsimons 
Innovation Community, the company is 
advancing GastroScreen, the first stem-
cell-derived human intestinal tissue 
containing functional inner lining of the 
intestine, smooth muscle, neurons, and 
vasculature. By recreating critical features 
of human biology in the lab, the platform 
gives researchers a more sophisticated 
view of therapeutic response to empower 
earlier, more informed decisions about 
which drugs move forward.
“Simply put, we make mini human organs 
to replace animals in testing,” says Childs, 
Cofounder and CEO. “If we can see how a 
drug will react in a human, that saves time, 
helps clinicians make better decisions, 
and makes patients’ lives better.”
For the Intero Biosystems team, science 
always serves a larger purpose, and that 
purpose found its center in Colorado. 
“When deciding where to go, we saw that 
Colorado combines talent, quality of life, 
startup infrastructure, and meaningful 
funding in a way few states could match.”
After learning about the state through the 
CBSA-led Colorado Hub for Health Impact 
The Intero Biosystems team is developing miniature organs for preclinical testing.
Intero Biosystems Rewrites the 
Future of Human Drug Response
“
Colorado combines 
talent, quality of life, 
startup infrastructure, 
and meaningful 
funding in a way few 
states could match.
C H A R L I E C H I L D S,  P H . D. 
CO F O U N D E R &  C E O
I N T E R O  B I O S Y ST E M S
12     2026-27 BIOSCIENCE COLORADO

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