Release Details

CARLSBAD, Calif., May 18, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (Nasdaq: ISIS) announces the following webcast:

What: Commercialization plans for Isis' TIGER biosensor system, a revolutionary system for the identification of infectious organisms



When: Monday, May 23, 2005 at 8:30 am (ET)



Where: www.isispharm.com



How: Live on the Internet. Simply log onto our website listed above.



Contact: Navjot Rai
Corporate Communications
(760) 603-2331

If you are unable to participate during the live event, a replay of the webcast will be available at www.isispharm.com for up to 30 days.

ABOUT TIGER AND THE IBIS DIVISION

Isis' Ibis division has invented the TIGER (Triangulation Identification for Genetic Evaluation of Risks) biosensor system, a system that has the potential to revolutionize the identification of infectious diseases. The Ibis division was founded to take advantage of the Company's expertise in RNA and utilize that knowledge and innovation to create a fundamentally different approach for the identification of bacterial and viral organisms. Isis' scientists have applied proprietary technologies to develop a biological sensor to identify a broad range of infectious organisms contained in a sample, including those that are newly-emerging, genetically altered and unculturable. The division has successfully demonstrated proof-of-principle of the TIGER biosensor system with the identification of a variety of bacteria and viruses in both environmental and human clinical samples. In addition to bioweapons defense, Ibis has advanced the development of the TIGER biosensor system to include epidemiological surveillance, biological products screening and microbial forensics applications. These applications represent the first of many Isis plans to add to the TIGER biosensor system to enhance its commercial value and opportunity in the government, research, medical and diagnostic markets.

To develop TIGER technology and applications, Isis' Ibis division has received contracts from a number of government agencies, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). From inception through March 31, 2005, Ibis has earned $38.5 million in revenue from government partners. An additional $9.0 million is committed under existing contracts and grants, with the potential for added funding.

ABOUT ISIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is exploiting its expertise in RNA to discover and develop novel human therapeutic drugs for its pipeline and for its partners. The Company has successfully commercialized the world's first antisense drug and has 11 antisense products in development to treat metabolic, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, and cancer. Through its Ibis division, Isis is developing a system to identify infectious organisms. As an innovator in RNA-based drug discovery and development, Isis is the owner or exclusive licensee of more than 1,500 issued patents worldwide. Additional information about Isis is available at http://www.isispharm.com.

SOURCE Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Navjot Rai, Corporate Communications of Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-760-603-2331

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