CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS) announced today it has earned a $5 million milestone payment from Biogen Idec associated with the validation of an undisclosed target to treat a neurological disorder under its broad strategic collaboration with Biogen Idec to develop drugs to treat patients with neurological disorders.  Isis will continue to evaluate the target with the goal of advancing this program into development. 

"Together with Biogen Idec, we have made significant progress advancing multiple partnered programs.  We benefit from the expertise Biogen Idec brings to our partnered programs, and we benefit financially as these programs advance.  Across our four collaborations, we have generated more than $305 million from Biogen Idec as our programs have advanced," said B. Lynne Parshall, chief operating officer at Isis.  "As we enter 2015, we expect another year of growth and anticipate expanding our neurological disease franchise with Biogen Idec as we continue to identify new targets and move new antisense drugs into development."

ABOUT ISIS and BIOGEN IDEC
Biogen Idec and Isis have a broad strategic alliance focused on leveraging antisense technology to advance the treatment of neurological and neuromuscular disorders. This alliance combines Isis' expertise in antisense technology to evaluate potential neurological targets and discover antisense drugs with Biogen Idec's capability to develop therapies for neurological disorders.  Isis is primarily responsible for drug discovery and early development of antisense therapies.  Biogen Idec has the option to license each antisense program at a particular stage in development.  Current development-stage programs include antisense drugs to treat patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), ISIS-SMN_Rx, myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), ISIS-DMPK_Rx, and two undisclosed neurodegenerative diseases, ISIS-BIIB3_Rx, and ISIS-BIIB4_Rx.  In addition to these four drugs, Isis and Biogen Idec have numerous opportunities to evaluate additional targets for the development of drugs to treat neurological disorders.

ABOUT ISIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Isis is exploiting its leadership position in RNA-targeted 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/rare diseases and cardiovascular diseases.  These include ISIS-APOCIII_Rx, a drug Isis is developing through its wholly owned subsidiary, Akcea Therapeutics, to treat patients with severely high triglycerides, such as patients with familial chylomicronemia syndrome; ISIS-TTR_Rx, a drug Isis is developing with GSK to treat patients with the polyneuropathy form of TTR amyloidosis; and, ISIS-SMN_Rx, 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' strategic relationship with Biogen Idec and the discovery, development, activity, therapeutic potential, safety and commercialization of drugs under Isis' relationship with Biogen Idec.  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.  Akcea Therapeutics™ is a trademark of Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  KYNAMRO^® is a registered trademark of Genzyme Corporation.

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SOURCE Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

D. Wade Walke, Ph.D., Vice President, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, 760-603-2741; Amy Blackley, Ph.D., Associate Director, Corporate Communications, 760-603-2772