NASDAQ Bio Company CEO Sells Shares Worth Billions Near Peak

Brett P. Monia, CEO of US biotech Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: IONS), sold approximately 29,000 shares of the company’s common stock on February 6 at about $85.79 per share, raising roughly $2.53 million (₩3.4 billion). The sale was made under a 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on August 13, 2024. After the transaction, Monia still holds about 254,000 shares, preserving a significant ownership stake.

In a recent press release, Ionis reported that US sales of its rare lipid-disorder therapy TRYNGOLZA are projected at around $105 million (₩140 billion) in 2025—beating expectations for its first independent launch—and raised its annual peak-sales guidance for severe hypertriglyceridemia to over $2 billion (₩2.7 trillion).

The company also announced it will provide sequential updates on key Phase 3 readouts for multiple partnered programs, including the hepatitis B candidate bepirovirsen, along with other pipeline progress at events such as the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Carlsbad, California, Ionis Pharmaceuticals specializes in RNA-targeted therapeutics using antisense oligonucleotide technology and is listed on Nasdaq under the ticker IONS.

A founding team member, Brett P. Monia has served as CEO since 2019. Under his leadership, Ionis has pursued both commercialized products and late-stage clinical candidates in central nervous system, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases, including spinal muscular atrophy.