Iono Pharma, LLC

Iono Pharma, LLC is a privately held startup pharmaceutical company founded in 2015 and based in the Memphis, Tennessee area. The company is focused on developing novel drug delivery systems, particularly for pediatric patients. Publicly available information suggests it is a small, pre-revenue company that has been seeking seed funding for preclinical and clinical studies. One source describes the company as "deadpooled," although it remains the owner of an actively litigated patent.

The company's primary focus is the development of needle-free drug delivery technologies. Its main product candidate is a rapidly dissolving sublingual or buccal film for the delivery of epinephrine to treat anaphylactic shock, positioned as an alternative to auto-injectors. Iono Pharma refers to this product as Epi Relief Strips™. Other potential products mentioned in its development pipeline include a transdermal microemulsion to treat iodine deficiency and a topical cream for treating angiofibroma in children.

Iono Pharma's patent litigation posture is that of a technology developer defending its intellectual property. The company is listed as a defendant in one case and as a plaintiff in none. This single case is an inter partes review (IPR) proceeding before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), where a competitor is challenging the validity of its patent.

The notable case is Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc. v. Iono Pharma, LLC, initiated in May 2025. Aquestive Therapeutics, a publicly traded pharmaceutical company, is challenging Iono's U.S. Patent No. 11,021,437, which covers a "Pharmaceutical Formulation For Sublingual Or Buccal Delivery Of Epinephrine." The litigation is commercially significant as Aquestive is also developing its own sublingual epinephrine film, named Anaphylm, making the two companies direct competitors in the race to bring a needle-free epinephrine product to market.