Risk/Reward for Isis Pharma (ISIS) is Sinking Fast - Barron's
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Isis Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ISIS) is slumping Monday following a negative article in Barron's over the weekend.
Though Kynamro, a drug that deactivates genes that cause disease-causing proteins, was approved earlier this year, much of Isis' revenue will come from marketing rights payments. Product revenue isn't expected to begin until 2016.
Kynamro specifically treats homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH, which affects just a few hundred people each year. Patients generally go for a bi-weekly blood cleaning, which runs $65,000 per year. By contrast, Kynamro would require weekly injections and cost $176,000 per year.
Side effects from Kynamro can include flu-like symptoms, high risk of liver damage, and cardiovascular risk.
Investors are focus on how Isis has about 28 drugs in its pipeline, not to mention that Kynamro might be approved to treat heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HeFH, which afflicts one in 300 people.
Competition in the segment comes from Aegerion's (Nasdaq: AEGR) Juxtapid, as well as PCSK9 inhibitors, which treat HeFH and other high-cholesterol ailments. Companies like Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Sanofi (NYSE: SNY), and Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) are conducting trials on such drugs, many of which are expected out by 2015.
There are still plenty of questions surrounding the safety of antisense drugs. One Piper analyst last week cut his rating on Isis to Underweight, thinking that
Shares of Isis are down over 5 percent Monday.
Though Kynamro, a drug that deactivates genes that cause disease-causing proteins, was approved earlier this year, much of Isis' revenue will come from marketing rights payments. Product revenue isn't expected to begin until 2016.
Kynamro specifically treats homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH, which affects just a few hundred people each year. Patients generally go for a bi-weekly blood cleaning, which runs $65,000 per year. By contrast, Kynamro would require weekly injections and cost $176,000 per year.
Side effects from Kynamro can include flu-like symptoms, high risk of liver damage, and cardiovascular risk.
Investors are focus on how Isis has about 28 drugs in its pipeline, not to mention that Kynamro might be approved to treat heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HeFH, which afflicts one in 300 people.
Competition in the segment comes from Aegerion's (Nasdaq: AEGR) Juxtapid, as well as PCSK9 inhibitors, which treat HeFH and other high-cholesterol ailments. Companies like Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Sanofi (NYSE: SNY), and Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) are conducting trials on such drugs, many of which are expected out by 2015.
There are still plenty of questions surrounding the safety of antisense drugs. One Piper analyst last week cut his rating on Isis to Underweight, thinking that
the potential safety side effects mean antisense drugs may be limited to only the most severe diseases..
Shares of Isis are down over 5 percent Monday.
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