Filings Soon As Biogen Snaps Up Ionis' Antisense Treatment

 
• By Alex Shimmings
  
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Promising top-line Phase III data have prompted Biogen to exercise an option to develop and commercialize Ionis's novel antisense treatment nusinersen for infantile-onset spinal muscular atrophy; filings are due shortly.

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Shares in Carlsbad, CA-based Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (formerly ISIS Pharmaceuticals) shot up by more than 30% to close at $38.01 on Aug. 1 when it announced the initial data from its ENDEAR study of the antisense candidate nusinersen plus a $75m license fee payment from Biogen Inc.,which will now assume responsibility for the drug's development. Biogen's shares also received a 4% boost.

A pre-specified interim analysis has shown that babies with infantile-onset (consistent with Type 1) spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) receiving nusinersen...

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