Dive Brief:
- With $835 million in funding from J&J, Isis is embarking on R&D to discover and develop antisense drugs to treat autoimmune disorders of the GI tract.
- Isis will receive $35 million in upfront funding.
- The basis of development for Isis is its antisense technology, which targets RNA molecules.
Dive Insight:
Isis will receive approximately $800 million from J&J to support development, regulatory, and sales efforts, in addition to the $35 million upfront fee, which will be used to support the initiation of human clinical trials.
In the simplest terms, targeting RNA molecules with antisense technology can be used to inhibit the production of target proteins that lead to specific diseases. All told, Isis, which is considered a leader in RNA technology, has a pipeline of 34 drugs in development and has successfully co-partnered with several larger companies, including Sanofi's Genzyme, over the last several years.