Isis Pharmaceuticals commences Phase 1 study of ISIS-GSK3Rx for treatment of common viral infection

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS) announced today that it has initiated a Phase 1 study for ISIS-GSK3_Rx and earned a $3 million milestone payment from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).  ISIS-GSK3_Rx is designed to inhibit the production of an undisclosed target to treat a common viral infection.  Isis will develop ISIS-GSK3_Rx to Phase 2 proof-of-concept, after which GSK has an exclusive option to in-license the program and further develop and commercialize the asset. 

"We are very pleased to advance ISIS-GSK3_Rx into a clinical study in a therapeutic area where there is a significant need for better therapies" said B. Lynne Parshall, chief operating officer of Isis.  "The versatility and broad applicability of our technology enables us to discover and develop antisense drugs to a diverse range of targets.  We look forward to evaluating this important new drug in this underserved disease space."

As a part of its alliance with GSK, Isis is eligible to earn additional pre-licensing milestone payments from GSK as ISIS-GSK3_Rx advances.  Isis is also eligible to receive double-digit royalties on sales of ISIS-GSK3_Rx.  The alliance applies Isis' antisense drug discovery platform to discover and develop new therapeutics against targets for rare and serious diseases, including infectious diseases and some conditions causing blindness.