Biogen Idec and Isis Pharmaceuticals announced that they have entered into a global collaboration agreement to discover and develop antisense drugs against three undisclosed targets to treat neurological or neuromuscular disorders. Isis will be responsible for development of the drugs through the completion of the initial Phase 2 clinical trial, with Biogen Idec providing advice and assistance on research, clinical trial design and conduct, and regulatory strategy for each program. Biogen Idec has the option to license a drug from each of the three programs through the completion of Phase 2 trials, and if it exercises its option, Biogen Idec will be responsible for global development, regulatory, and commercialization.

In the accompanying press release, Richard Brudnick, vice-president and co-head of business development at Biogen Idec said, "This will be our third collaboration with Isis, which is reflective of our respect for them as a partner and as a leader in antisense technology. By combining Isis' knowledge with Biogen Idec's expertise as a leader in neurology, we believe this latest discovery collaboration holds great potential for finding novel approaches to treating neurologic diseases."