Dive Brief:
- Last week's terrorist attack in Paris by the Islamic State group might be enough to convince Isis Pharma to change its name after 25 years in business.
- Isis Pharma CEO Stanley Crooke has implied that changing the name of the company would be a capitulation to terror.
- Worsening the issue is the company's stock ticker -- which also is ISIS.
Dive Insight:
Ever since the terror group, alternatively known as ISIS, emerged as major global terrorist threat, Isis Pharma's name has provoked intense reactions. The company has been repeatedly questioned about why the name has not been changed. Crooke argues Isis Pharma investors are sophisticated enough to differentiate between a terrorist organization and a pharmaceutical company.
Nonetheless, the latest events have led the company to do some soul-searching. A name change may be in order—which would also include the company's well-known ticker ISIS. Given the current climate, most investors will understand and won't complain about the change.