Akcea C-Suite Upheaval’s Reasons Unclear, Firm Set To Take In More Ionis Programs

Akcea terminates top three execs while praising their accomplishments in building up the Ionis spinout. Stock finished the trading day down nearly 20%.

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Three top execs are out at Akcea; reasons why unclear

Akcea Therapeutics Inc. is facing an uncertain future as parent company Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the immediate departure of CEO Paula Soteropoulos and two top deputies on 23 September, naming previous Ionis chief business officer Dean McDevitt as the interim CEO, but analysts see it as a shakeup that could mean greater focus on the pipeline.

In a statement outlining the changes, Ionis chairman Stanley Crooke and Akcea chairman Christopher Gabrieli both lauded the departing execs for “significant achievements” while providing no rationale for the changes.

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