Opinion on  Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ISIS)
ISIS Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in RNA-based drug discovery and development for its product pipeline and for its partners. The company’s drug development programs are focused on treating cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, as well as cancer, and inflammatory and other diseases. It primarily offers an antisense drug, Vitravene, to treat cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS patients. The company and its partners have approximately 18 drugs in development, including Mipomersen (ISIS 301012) for familial hypercholesterolemia patients; ISIS 113715 for type 2 diabetes; ISIS 325568 that targets the glucagon receptor; ISIS 377131 targeting the glucocorticoid receptor; ISIS 388626 that targets a protein that is responsible for glucose re-absorption in the kidney; OGX-011 for patients with advanced prostate or lung cancers; OGX-427 that targets a cell survival protein that is present in cancer cells; LY2275796, which targets a protein involved in tumor progression; ATL1102 for the treatment of multiple sclerosis; iCo-007 for the treatment of various eye diseases; and ISIS 369645 for the treatment of respiratory diseases. Isis Pharmaceuticals is also developing and commercializing the Ibis T5000 Biosensor System, a system to identify infectious organisms. The company, through a joint venture with Regulus Therapeutics LLC, focuses on the development and commercialization of microRNA therapeutics. It has strategic alliances/collaboration agreements/licensing agreements with Symphony GenIsis, Inc.; The Ludwig Institute; Pfizer, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; Merck & Co., Inc.; Achaogen, Inc.; Antisense Therapeutics Limited; Atlantic Healthcare (UK) Limited; iCo Therapeutics, Inc.; ImQuest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; OncoGenex Technologies, Inc.; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Ercole Biotech, Inc.; Santaris Pharma A/S; Archemix Corp.; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; and Ortho-McNeil, Inc. The company was founded in 1989 and is based in Carlsbad, California.