CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Stanley T. Crooke, Ph.D., M.D., founder, CEO and chairman of the board of directors of Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS), has been awarded the 2014 SCRIP Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the most prestigious of its kind in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries worldwide. Dr. Crooke was selected for the lifetime achievement award by an independent panel of global life sciences experts, based on Dr. Crooke's dedication to advancing science and medicine as a physician, a scientist, a leader and as a successful entrepreneur. The lifetime achievement award recognizes Dr. Crooke's innovative spirit and his perseverance to stay focused on a lifetime goal of creating the drugs of the future. Dr. Crooke's accomplishments were recognized at the annual SCRIP awards ceremony held on December 3rd at The Lancaster Hotel in London.
"I am honored to have received this award and it is gratifying to be recognized by my peers. The focus of my career has always been to do what is best for patients, to lead science and innovation in the drug discovery and development industry and to turn that innovation into medically and commercially valuable therapeutics and diagnostics. To have had the opportunity to lead the building of one of the earliest broad anticancer franchises in the industry, to have led the efforts to bring more than 20 new drugs to the market and to have led the creation of antisense technology is a tremendous privilege," said Stanley T. Crooke, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer and chairman at Isis Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Crooke is a successful biotechnology entrepreneur and inventor. He founded and has led Isis Pharmaceuticals. At Isis, Dr. Crooke led the scientific development of a new platform for drug discovery, antisense technology, and engineered the creation of one of the largest and most advanced pipeline of drugs in the biotechnology industry. Currently, Isis has more than 34 drugs in development, including numerous drugs in late-stage clinical development and has achieved commercialization of the first three RNA-targeted drugs to reach the market.
Dr. Crooke is recognized as one the world's foremost experts on antisense technology. In addition to his responsibilities as the CEO and chairman of the board of directors at Isis, Dr. Crooke leads an active research lab focused on advancing antisense drug technology through the elucidation of its underlying molecular mechanisms. Dr. Crooke has published over 450 scientific publications and edited 21 books.
Dr. Crooke started his industry career at Bristol Laboratories, where he helped to establish the anticancer drug discovery and development program and played a key role in bringing to market a significant number of anticancer drugs. While at SmithKline, he oversaw worldwide R&D, coordinated all research activities including, instruments and diagnostics, and was involved in commercializing numerous new drugs in broad therapeutic areas. Dr. Crooke received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees and house staff training at Baylor College of Medicine and has been an active scientist throughout his career.
Dr. Crooke has also supported the creation and growth of a number of companies based on Isis' technology, including Regulus, Ibis and others. He has served as a board member of 22 biotechnology and scientific companies and is currently a member of the board of directors of Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). Dr. Crooke has been the recipient of numerous awards. Nature Biotechnology named him as one of the most influential individuals in biotechnology. Dr. Crooke was awarded the Director of the Year Award from the Corporate Directors Forum; the Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Chemical Society (San Diego Chapter); the Helix Award, for the most important innovation in biotechnology by BIO, Stony Brook University and the Center for Biotechnology; and the Ernst and Young and Entrepreneur Award of the Year Award. Dr. Crooke was also recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus at both Baylor College of Medicine and Butler University.
Most recently, Dr. Crooke accepted the CURE SMA Breakthrough Award, which recognizes the commitment of Isis Pharmaceuticals to discovering and developing a drug to treat spinal muscular atrophy.
ABOUT ISIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Isis is exploiting its leadership position in antisense technology to discover and develop novel drugs for its product pipeline and for its partners. Isis' broad pipeline consists of 34 drugs to treat a wide variety of diseases with an emphasis on cardiovascular, metabolic, severe and rare diseases, including neurological disorders, and cancer. Isis' partner, Genzyme, is commercializing Isis' lead product, KYNAMRO®, in the United States and other countries for the treatment of patients with homozygous FH. Isis has numerous drugs in Phase 3 development in severe and rare and cardiovascular diseases. These include a ISIS-APOCIIIRx, a drug Isis is developing to treat patients with severely high triglycerides, such as patients with familial chylomicronemia syndrome; ISIS-TTRRx, a drug Isis is developing with GSK to treat patients with the polyneuropathy form of TTR amyloidosis; and, ISIS-SMNRx, a drug Isis is developing with Biogen Idec to treat infants and children with spinal muscular atrophy, a severe and rare neuromuscular disease. Isis' patents provide strong and extensive protection for its drugs and technology. Additional information about Isis is available at www.isispharm.com.
ISIS PHARMACEUTICALS' FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT
This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Isis Pharmaceuticals' financial position and outlook, Isis' business, and the therapeutic and commercial potential of Isis' technologies and products in development. Any statement describing Isis' goals, expectations, financial or other projections, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. 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 drugs. 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, 2013, and its most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, which are on file with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents are available from the Company.
In this press release, unless the context requires otherwise, "Isis," "Company," "we," "our," and "us" refers to Isis Pharmaceuticals and its subsidiaries.
Isis Pharmaceuticals® is a registered trademark of Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. KYNAMRO® is a registered trademark of Genzyme Corporation.
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SOURCE Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Isis Pharmaceuticals, D. Wade Walke, Ph.D., Vice President, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, 760-603-2741, or Amy Blackley, Ph.D., Associate Director, Corporate Communications, 760-603-2772
