Island Pharmaceuticals' (ILA: $0.066) lead drug candidate, ISLA-101, was first investigated as an oncology drug by Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). Executive Chairman of Island, Paul MacLeman, said that whilst its ability to kill cancer cells was poor, its safety profile was good and well established. ISLA-101 has been assessed in 45 clinical studies to date.

Island pharmaceuticals (ILA: $0.066) has signed a non-binding term sheet with antiviral drug developer BioCryst to acquire rights to the compound galidesivir for the treatment of a number of dangerous viruses, including Ebola, Zika and Marburg viruses.