Icos Corporation (trademark
ICOS) was the largest
biotechnology company in the U.S. state of
Washington before it was sold to
Eli Lilly and Company in 2007. It was founded in 1989 by
David Blech, Isaac Blech, Robert Nowinski, and
George Rathmann, a pioneer in the industry and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder of
Amgen, Icos focused on the development of drugs to treat
inflammatory disorders. During its 17-year history, the company conducted
clinical trials of twelve drugs, three of which reached the last phase of clinical trials. Icos also manufactured
antibodies for other biotechnology companies.