Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Tuesday announced that it hasbeen awarded almost $1 million in Phase II small businessinnovative research grants (SBIRs) to continue its work oncharacterizing antisense oligonucleotides against replication ofa human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes genital warts, andthe herpes simplex virus (HSV).

The National Cancer Institute awarded Isis (NASDAQ:ISIP) ofCarlsbad, Calif., a $500,000 grant to study over two years"oligonucleotides as inhibitors of papillomaviruses." Thecompany said the grant will allow it to gain additional insightsinto the life cycle of the papillomavirus. Isis has anoligonucleotide-based drug, Isis 2105, in Phase II trials as apossible treatment for genital warts.

This grant will allow the company to more thoroughlycharacterize the product and to develop second-generationproducts, said Jacqueline Siegel, Isis' chief financial officer.

In addition, the National Institute of Allergies and InfectiousDiseases awarded the company another SBIR worth $429,974.In the first phase of this 27-month study the company willattempt to characterize further antisense oligonucleotides thatwere shown to exhibit potent anti-viral activity against herpessimplex virus (HSV-1). Phase II research will be done tocharacterize these compounds in cell-culture systems andevaluate their activity in relevant animal models of HSV-1-induced diseases.

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