Ionis

Ionis Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company specializing in RNA-targeted drug discovery and development. Founded over 30 years ago, the company has pioneered antisense technology to create novel drugs for patients with unmet medical needs. Ionis' primary focus is on developing treatments for cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, and rare diseases. The company's drug discovery platform has enabled it to build a diverse pipeline of medicines, with over 40 programs in development as of 2023. Ionis has successfully brought several products to market, including SPINRAZA for spinal muscular atrophy, which generated USD 179 million in royalties for the company in the first nine months of 2023. In addition to its wholly-owned pipeline, Ionis collaborates with major pharmaceutical companies to develop and commercialize its drugs. For instance, the company has partnerships with AstraZeneca for eplontersen in ATTR amyloidosis and with Roche for programs in Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases. Ionis reported total revenue of USD 463 million for the first nine months of 2023, reflecting a 6% increase compared to the same period in 2022. The company's financial position remains strong, with USD 2.2 billion in cash and short-term investments as of September 2023.

Key customers and partnerships

Ionis Pharmaceuticals has established significant partnerships with several major pharmaceutical companies. Biogen licensed SPINRAZA from Ionis in 2016, which has become a global foundation of care for spinal muscular atrophy patients. In September 2023, Ionis entered into an agreement with Roche for two early-stage RNA-targeted programs for Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. The company also has a long-standing collaboration with Roche dating back to 2013 for tominersen in Huntington's disease. Additionally, Ionis partnered with AstraZeneca to develop and commercialize eplontersen for ATTR amyloidosis. In May 2023, Ionis reported a collaboration with GSK for bepirovirsen in chronic hepatitis B virus treatment. These partnerships have allowed Ionis to leverage its RNA-targeted technology across a broader range of therapeutic areas and potentially accelerate the development and commercialization of its drug candidates.