Ionis Pharmaceuticals, a company involved in RNA-targeted therapeutics, has been notified by its partner Bayer regarding the decision to advance IONIS-FXI-LRx following positive clinical results, it was reported yesterday.

The product is an antisense medicine being developed to treat patients with clotting disorders. It uses the company's advanced LIgand Conjugated Antisense technology platform and is designed to decrease the production of Factor XI, a clotting factor produced in the liver.

Brett P Monia, chief operating officer at Ionis, said, 'Ionis was first to validate Factor XI and the intrinsic coagulation pathway as a novel antithrombotic strategy. Our antisense medicine targeting Factor XI demonstrates potent antithrombotic activity with little to no bleeding in multiple patient populations. This enables, for the first time, the potential to separate anti-thrombotic activity from bleeding risk. Considering their vast experience in developing and commercialising medicines to treat thrombosis, along with the significant unmet medical need and the broad market potential for a Factor XI therapy, we believe Bayer is the perfect partner for IONIS-FXI-LRx. Bayer's decision to advance IONIS-FXI-LRx into a phase 2 clinical trial highlights their confidence in our LICA technology.'