CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that Eli Lilly and Company highlighted two antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs in its "Update to Wall Street on Strategic Priorities and Pipeline Progress" on Thursday. Advances with both survivin ASO (LY2181308) and eIF-4E ASO (LY2275796) drugs were singled out among Select Early- to Mid-Stage Pipeline Developments. Based on promising activity in early studies, Lilly said that it is initiating Phase 2 trials for survivin ASO in a broad range of cancers including liver cancer, prostate cancer, acute myelogenous leukemia, ovarian cancer and non-small cell lung cancer; the first of these trials is planned to begin this month. Lilly also said that the Phase 1 development program for eIF-4E ASO is progressing well.
"We are pleased that Lilly includes our collaboration drugs among its selected strategic priorities," commented C. Frank Bennett, Ph.D., Isis' Senior Vice President of Research. "These drugs resulted from our productive collaboration and Lilly's broad investment in antisense technologies. We continue to work together and hope that additional drugs will arise from our collective efforts. Lilly's progress with these anti-cancer drugs emphasizes the broad therapeutic potential of Isis' platform antisense technologies, and underscores our strategy of working with partners to expand the scope of our development pipeline."
ABOUT LY2181308 AND SURVIVIN
LY2181308 targets survivin, a molecule that supports the survival of cells that would normally die through programmed cell death or apoptosis. Survivin helps in the abnormal growth of cancer cells, and is abundant in many types of cancers, including colon, brain, lung, skin and others, but nearly nonexistent in normal cells and tissues.
ABOUT LY2275796 AND eIF-4E
LY2275796 targets eIF-4E, a protein that is increased in a variety of cancers, including breast, head and neck, prostate, lung, bladder, colon, thyroid and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. The molecule facilitates the synthesis of tumor angiogenic factors (factors that facilitate the growth of new blood vessels to support the development and progression of tumors), growth factors and survival factors by selectively enhancing their translation. Based on scientific literature, there is a strong indication that eIF-4E may act as a critical "switch" in cancer progression.
ABOUT ISIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Isis is exploiting its expertise in RNA to discover and develop novel drugs for its product pipeline and for its partners. The Company has successfully commercialized the world's first antisense drug and has 14 drugs in development. Isis' drug development programs are aimed at treating cardiovascular, metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Isis' partners are focused in disease areas such as ocular, viral and neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. In its Ibis Biosciences(TM) division, Isis is developing and commercializing the Ibis T5000(TM) Biosensor System, a revolutionary system to identify infectious organisms. As an innovator in RNA-based drug discovery and development, Isis is the owner or exclusive licensee of approximately 1,500 issued patents worldwide. Additional information about Isis is available at www.isispharm.com.
This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Isis' business, its collaboration with Eli Lilly, the development of LY2181308 and LY2275796 to treat cancer, and the therapeutic and commercial potential of Isis' technologies and products in development. Any statement describing Isis' goals, expectations, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement, including those statements that are described as Isis' goals. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing drugs that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such products. Isis' forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Isis' forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by Isis. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and other risks concerning Isis' programs are described in additional detail in Isis' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2006, which are on file with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents are available from the Company.
Ibis T5000, Ibis Biosciences and Isis Pharmaceuticals are trademarks or registered trademarks of Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.CONTACT: Kate Corcoran, Ph.D., Vice President, Corporate Development, orWilliam Craumer, Executive Director, Corporate Communications, both of IsisPharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-760-603-2331
Web site: http://www.isispharm.com/
