Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. develops RNA-targeted medicines and reports news around marketed medicines and a pipeline in neurology, cardiometabolic disease and other high-need areas. Company updates commonly address commercial performance for TRYNGOLZA, financial results, R&D revenue from partnerships, and progress across antisense oligonucleotide programs.
Clinical and regulatory news also covers programs such as olezarsen for severe hypertriglyceridemia, zilganersen for Alexander disease, and partner-developed bepirovirsen for chronic hepatitis B. Governance and investor-relations releases include annual meeting materials, board composition changes, and healthcare conference presentations.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals has announced a significant royalty agreement with Royalty Pharma, involving an upfront payment of $500 million and potential milestones of up to $625 million. This deal allows Royalty Pharma to acquire an interest in Ionis' royalties from SPINRAZA and pelacarsen, while Ionis retains the majority of royalties and milestone payments from Novartis. The investment aims to bolster Ionis' late-stage programs and innovative genetic medicines pipeline, highlighting confidence in the commercial potential of both therapies.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, based in Carlsbad, California, announced that Brett P. Monia, Ph.D., will present at the 41st Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on January 11, 2023, at 9:45 a.m. PT (12:45 p.m. ET). The presentation will include a company overview followed by a Q&A session. A live webcast will be available on the Ionis website, with a replay accessible within 48 hours. Ionis has over 30 years of experience in RNA-targeted therapy and currently offers three marketed medicines alongside a robust late-stage pipeline.
On December 5, 2022, Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced the acceptance of its marketing authorization application (MAA) for tofersen by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to treat SOD1-ALS. This follows the FDA's acceptance earlier in 2022, with a PDUFA date set for April 25, 2023. If approved, tofersen will be the first therapy targeting a genetic cause of ALS, which affects around 2% of ALS patients globally. The MAA includes data from several studies, and Biogen will maintain its early access program for tofersen across 34 countries.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals partners with Metagenomi to bolster its gene editing capabilities using Metagenomi's advanced systems. This collaboration aims to explore eight genetic targets, with initial research focused on four. Ionis will pay $80 million upfront, with potential milestone payments. The partnership aims to enhance therapeutic options, potentially transforming chronic therapies into curative treatments. A webcast will detail this announcement on Nov. 14, 2022, at 8 a.m. ET.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: IONS) reported positive interim results from a Phase 2 open-label extension study of donidalorsen for hereditary angioedema (HAE). After one year of treatment, patients experienced a 95% mean reduction in HAE attacks, with 99.6% of study days being attack-free. No new safety issues were identified, and adverse events did not lead to study discontinuation. The encouraging data were presented at the ACAAI Annual Meeting, reinforcing donidalorsen's potential as a leading HAE treatment.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: IONS) announced participation in several upcoming investor conferences. Key events include:
- Guggenheim 4th Annual Immunology and Neurology Day on November 14, 2022
- Stifel 2022 Healthcare Conference on November 15, 2022
- 5th Annual Evercore ISI HealthCONx and Piper Sandler 34th Annual Healthcare Conference on November 29, 2022
- Nasdaq 47th Investor Conference and BMO 2022 Growth & ESG Conference on December 7, 2022
Live webcasts and replays will be available on Ionis’ website.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IONS) reported a 20% revenue increase for Q3 2022, totaling $160 million, driven by significant partner payments across various programs. Operating expenses remained stable at $219 million, while the net loss decreased to $47 million, reflecting improved operational efficiency. The company has increased its cash guidance to approximately $2.0 billion. Notably, positive Phase 3 study data for eplontersen and new facility construction underscore Ionis's growth potential. The company reaffirmed its annual guidance for revenue and expenses.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that GSK presented positive results from the Phase 2b B-Clear study of bepirovirsen, an investigational treatment for chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB). The study demonstrated sustained clearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV DNA in patients for 24 weeks post-treatment. GSK plans to move bepirovirsen into Phase 3 trials in the first half of 2023. Initial findings suggest better responses in patients with low baseline HBsAg levels.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals presented positive Phase 2 results for IONIS-FB-LRx in treating immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), achieving a 44% mean reduction in proteinuria after 6 months. The study maintained kidney function in all patients and showed robust reductions in plasma complement Factor B and urinary complement fragment Ba. Roche plans to advance IONIS-FB-LRx into Phase 3 development in H1 2023, addressing a significant unmet medical need in IgAN treatment.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced positive Phase 2b results for fesomersen presented at Kidney Week 2022. This investigational medicine targets Factor XI reduction to prevent thrombosis in patients on hemodialysis. The study showed no increased risk of major bleeding, achieving median FXI reductions of 53.1%, 72.2%, and 86.6% across different doses. Additionally, incidences of dialysis circuit clotting and AV-access thrombosis decreased significantly. Ionis will regain rights to fesomersen from Bayer and is seeking a new partner for its market delivery.