Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ISIS) reported a net loss of 7 cents per share in the third quarter, which was wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a net loss of 5 cents. The company had reported a net income of 2 cents in the year ago period. The wider-than-expected loss was due to lower revenues and higher operating expenses.  Revenues declined 9.1% to $26.8 million. Revenues include license fees, milestone-related payments and other payments. Revenues declined during the reported quarter as the company finished amortizing the revenue associated with the $50 million upfront payment received from Johnson & Johnson’s (JNJ) Ortho-McNeil-Janssen in 2007.  The company reported higher expenses during the quarter mainly due to the expansion of its clinical development programs, including additional expenses associated with the phase III clinical program for mipomersen, expenses for Regulus as it builds its core team and expenses related ...

Earlier this week, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ISIS) reported positive top-line results on its type II diabetes candidate, ISIS-113715. Results from the phase II study showed consistent and statistically significant reductions in multiple short and intermediate measures of glucose control. Besides lowering blood glucose, the candidate also caused statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.   Importantly, a tendency towards weight loss was observed without strict dietary control. The candidate’s safety profile was favorable with no clinically significant adverse effects being observed. Full results will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.   ISIS-113715 is a novel insulin sensitizer that reduces the expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP-1B). The candidate’s ability to normalize glucose without exacerbating hypoglycemia, and reduce LDL-C levels and weight could provide patients who are obese and at high cardiovascular risk with a new treatment option.   ISIS-113715 has been developed using ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL - June 24, 2009 - Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Tiffany (TIF), Big Lots (BIG), Family Dollar (FDO), Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS) and OncoGenex (OGXI).

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Here are highlights from Tuesday's Analyst Blog:

Long-Term Job Stagnation

The two major forces behind the secular slowdown in job creation have been automation and globalization (off-shoring). It would not be particularly wise to reverse job losses coming from automation, since technology is the source of productivity growth and ultimately higher standards of living.

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL - May 11, 2009 - Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (OSIR), Genzyme Corp. (GENZ), Barclays PLC (BCS), Intersil Corporation (ISIL) and Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=4579.

Here are highlights from Friday's Analyst Blog:

Optimistic on Osiris

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (OSIR) reported financial results for the first quarter 2009 on May 7, 2009. Total revenues in the quarter were $12.7 million, up from $0.4 million for the same period for 2008, and slightly above our forecasts of

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We are keeping our Buy rating and $22 price target on Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS). We are big fans of antisense technology and believe that the number of potential therapeutic applications is enormous. Antisense drugs may have significant potential to treat a number of diseases where small molecule and biologic compounds have failed.Although still early-stage, antisense technology as a platform for developing drugs reminds us greatly of the promise of biologic drugs over a decade ago. Potential mechanisms such as siRNA, RNAi, alternate splicing and micro RNA have the potential to change how we treat disease in the years to come.Isis is pioneering the effort into antisense research. The company has already commercialized the first antisense drug in 1998 with Vitravene. Isis has several proprietary compounds in clinical development as well as partnered programs with large pharmaceutical companies such as Glaxo (GSK), Bristol-Myers (...

Highlights include Isis Pharmaceutical, Inc. (ISIS) and Genzyme Corp. (GENZ).We are keeping our Buy rating and $22 price target on Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS). We encourage investors to pick up the shares at this level. We think commercialization of mipomersen for HoFH under an accelerated approval should come in early 2011. Mipomersen represents one of the largest potential blockbuster drugs to come to market in the next few years.Additionally, the path to market outside the U.S. may be easier than the Street anticipates. We see today's price as a significant opportunity to pick up the premier antisense development company on the market for a discounted price.We are big fans of antisense technology and believe that the number of potential therapeutic applications is enormous. Antisense drugs may have significant potential to treat a number of diseases where small molecule and biologic compounds ...

Sometime during the middle of the year, Genentech (DNA) shareholders are going to get $95 in cash for each share of Genentech stock they own. In total, nearly $47 billion in funds are expected to be returned to biotechnology investors.We've come up with an effective "basket approach" to re-deploy those funds back into the biotech sector -- in search of the next Genentech.Antisense Makes a Lot of SenseFor a little over $13, investors can pick up one share of Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS). Isis is the market leader in antisense technology.We've made it no secret in the past -- we are big fans of antisense. We view the drug discovery engine fueled by Isis' antisense technology very similar to the power of Genentech's recombinant DNA and monoclonal antibody technology breakthroughs of the 1980's. Antisense drugs are still in their infancy, ...

We are reiterating or rating on Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS) of a Buy and maintaining our price target of $22.We believe that antisense technology represents an exciting and potentially revolutionary platform for developing therapeutic candidates to treat a wide margin of diseases. In our view, antisense as a platform is today where biologics were 10 years ago.The company's leading candidates are mipomersen (w/ Genzyme, GENZ) for high cholesterol and ISIS-113715 for diabetes, along with several other proprietary and partnered programs for oncology, inflammatory disease, asthma, and viral infections. Our financial model forecasts sustained profitability in 2011. Read the full analyst report on "ISIS"Zacks Investment Research

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (