Akcea Therapeutics, a majority-owned affiliate of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, is a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing medicines to treat patients with serious and rare diseases. The Company is commercializing TEGSEDI® (inotersen) and WAYLIVRA® (volanesorsen) as well as advancing a mature pipeline of medicines, including AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx, vupanorsen (AKCEA-ANGPTL3-LRx), AKCEA-APOCIII-LRx, and AKCEA-TTR-LRx, with the potential to treat multiple diseases. All six medicines are based on Ionis’ proprietary antisense technology. Akcea is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and is building the infrastructure to commercialize its medicines globally.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals is focused on discovering and developing RNA-targeted therapeutics. Ionis has created an efficient and broadly applicable drug discovery platform leveraging its expertise in antisense oligonucleotide therapeutics. Ionis’ large, diverse and advancing pipeline has over 40 potential first-in-class and/or best-in-class medicines designed to address a broad range of diseases, including neurological, cardio-renal, metabolic, infectious and pulmonary diseases. Ionis currently holds approximately 76% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Akcea.
Cowen is acting as exclusive financial advisor to the Affiliate Transactions Committee of Akcea’s Board of Directors for the transaction.