CARLSBAD, Calif., Aug. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Isis
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS) and AstraZeneca today
announced a strategic collaboration to discover and develop
antisense therapies for cardiovascular, metabolic and renal
diseases. The new collaboration builds on a broad existing
relationship between the two companies and supports AstraZeneca's
strategic approach in these therapeutic areas using novel
RNA-targeted treatments. It also enables Isis Pharmaceuticals to
extend use of its antisense technology to diseases of the
kidney.
Antisense drugs are short, chemically modified, single-stranded
nucleic acids (antisense oligonucleotides) that have the ability to
target any gene product of interest. They offer new opportunities
for therapeutic intervention because they act inside the cell to
influence protein production by targeting RNA to either prevent the
production of disease-causing proteins, increase the production of
proteins deficient in disease, or target toxic RNAs that are unable
to generate proteins.
AstraZeneca will pay an upfront fee of $65 million to Isis Pharmaceuticals plus
development and regulatory milestones for each program that
AstraZeneca advances to clinical development. Isis Pharmaceuticals
is also eligible to earn tiered double-digit royalties on annual
net sales for each program.
Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice
President, Innovative Medicines & Early Development at
AstraZeneca, said: "Antisense-based therapies are rapidly gaining
momentum in the clinic and becoming an important component of our
early stage pipeline. This collaboration combines the world-class
antisense drug research capabilities of Isis with our expertise in
cardiovascular, metabolic and renal disease drug discovery and
development. By working together, we aim to uncover targets and
pathways that can be manipulated using antisense drug therapy."
B. Lynne Parshall, Chief
Operating Officer at Isis Pharmaceuticals, said: "This expansion of
our collaboration with AstraZeneca establishes our second strategic
relationship. This new collaboration will help broaden the
application of our antisense technology to targets in the kidney.
AstraZeneca is committed to finding novel best-in-class therapies
for some of the largest, most complex and fastest growing disease
segments in the developed world. Combining our antisense technology
with AstraZeneca's strong knowledge, leadership and commitment in
these areas should be very valuable in fully exploiting these
opportunities and moving new therapies effectively and efficiently
toward the market."
This transaction is subject to clearances under the Hart-Scott
Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global,
innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the
discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription
medicines, primarily for the treatment of cardiovascular,
metabolic, respiratory, inflammation, autoimmune, oncology,
infection and neuroscience diseases. AstraZeneca operates in over
100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of
patients worldwide. For more information please visit:
www.astrazeneca.com.
ABOUT ISIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Isis is exploiting
its leadership position in RNA-targeted technology to discover and
develop novel drugs for its product pipeline and for its partners.
Isis' broad pipeline consists of 38 drugs to treat a wide variety
of diseases with an emphasis on cardiovascular, metabolic, severe
and rare diseases, including neurological disorders, and cancer.
Isis' partner, Genzyme, is commercializing Isis' lead product,
KYNAMRO®, in the United States and
other countries for the treatment of patients with homozygous FH.
Isis has numerous drugs in Phase 3 development in severe/rare
diseases and cardiovascular diseases. These include volanesorsen, a
drug Isis is developing and plans to commercialize through its
wholly owned subsidiary, Akcea Therapeutics, to treat patients with
familial chylomicronemia syndrome and familial partial
lipodystrophy; ISIS-TTRRx, a drug Isis is developing
with GSK to treat patients with the polyneuropathy and
cardiomyopathy forms of TTR amyloidosis; and ISIS-SMNRx,
a drug Isis is developing with Biogen to treat infants and children
with spinal muscular atrophy, a severe and rare neuromuscular
disease. Isis' patents provide strong and extensive protection for
its drugs and technology. Additional information about Isis is
available at www.isispharm.com.
Isis Pharmaceuticals' Forward-looking Statement
This
press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Isis'
alliance with AstraZeneca, Isis' research, development and
commercial opportunities in developing antisense drugs to treat
cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases. Any statement
describing Isis' goals, expectations, financial or other
projections, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement
and should be considered an at-risk statement. Such statements are
subject to certain risks and uncertainties, particularly those
inherent in the process of discovering, developing and
commercializing drugs that are safe and effective for use as human
therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around
such drugs. Isis' forward-looking statements also involve
assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could
cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Isis'
forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its
management, these statements are based only on facts and factors
currently known by Isis. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely
on these forward-looking statements. These and other risks
concerning Isis' programs are described in additional detail in
Isis' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and its most recent quarterly
report on Form 10-Q, which are on file with the SEC. Copies of
these and other documents are available from the Company.
Isis Pharmaceuticals® is a registered trademark of Isis
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Akcea Therapeutics™ is a trademark of Isis
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. KYNAMRO® is a registered trademark of Genzyme
Corporation.
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SOURCE Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.