Others are less generous, suggesting that Hybridon's prospects going forward are limited. But the deal could dramatically shift the relationship between the longtime competitors. The stock swap gives both companies a stake in the other's success. Stanley T. Crooke, Isis' chairman and chief executive, says he wants Hybridon to thrive. At stake is a promising corner of the biotechnology pipeline that has gained little attention outside the lab.
Many diseases occur when cells manufacture unwanted proteins.
Traditional drug therapy involves administering chemicals to counteract the unwanted proteins. Antisense technology looks at the genetic causes of disease - the particular pieces of a cell's DNA, and its complementary RNA, that direct the production of proteins. Antisense drugs bind to the RNA sequence to prevent the production of the unwanted proteins. Advocates say antisense drugs are potentially more effective because they intervene earlier in the disease process and are narrowly targeted to specific diseases. Hybridon is targeting AIDS and several forms of cancer with its drugs.