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Akcea Therapeutics's Overview

Total employees300
HeadquartersBoston
Founded2015

Akcea Therapeutics was a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing drugs to treat patients with serious and rare diseases. Established as a spin-off from Ionis Pharmaceuticals in 2015, Akcea centered its efforts on advancing a robust pipeline of RNA-targeted therapeutics, with a significant focus on cardiometabolic lipid disorders. Its key commercialized products included Tegsedi® (inotersen) for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (hATTR-PN) and Waylivra® (volanesorsen) for familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS). In October 2020, Ionis Pharmaceuticals completed the acquisition of the remaining stake in Akcea, fully integrating its operations, pipeline, and commercial products. Akcea's pioneering work and legacy in RNA-targeted therapies continue within Ionis's broader mission.

Where is Akcea Therapeutics's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Served as the central corporate office, directing global operations, research and development strategy, commercial activities, and administrative functions prior to its acquisition by Ionis Pharmaceuticals.

Notable Features:

Located in Boston's dynamic Seaport District, known for its modern infrastructure and concentration of life science companies. The office likely featured contemporary design facilitating collaboration and innovation.

Work Culture:

As a company dedicated to rare diseases, Akcea likely cultivated a mission-driven, scientifically rigorous, and patient-focused work environment. The culture would have emphasized innovation, collaboration, and agility in addressing unmet medical needs. Post-acquisition, employees were integrated into Ionis Pharmaceuticals.

HQ Significance:

The Boston headquarters provided Akcea with strategic access to a rich ecosystem of talent, leading academic and medical institutions, research collaborators, and venture capital, crucial for a developing biotech.

Values Reflected in HQ: The choice of a state-of-the-art facility in a leading biotech innovation hub likely mirrored Akcea's commitment to cutting-edge science, growth, and leadership in developing therapies for rare diseases.

Location:

Prior to its full acquisition by Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Akcea Therapeutics had established a significant global presence. This encompassed clinical trial operations across North America, Europe, and other regions, as well as commercial infrastructure in key markets where its therapies (Tegsedi® and Waylivra®) received regulatory approval. Functions supported globally included clinical development, medical affairs, regulatory submissions and compliance, drug safety, and commercial sales and marketing operations, particularly focused on North America and Europe.

Street Address:

22 Boston Wharf Road, 9th Floor

City:

Boston

State/Province:

MA

Country:

USA

Akcea Therapeutics's Global Presence

Reading, United Kingdom

Address: Davidson House, Forbury Square, Reading, RG1 3EU, UK (Representative address for European operations)

To support the launch, commercialization, and lifecycle management of Akcea's therapies across European countries and ensure compliance with regional healthcare regulations.

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Address: Business district in Mississauga, ON (General location for Canadian operations)

To facilitate access to Akcea's innovative medicines for Canadian patients and navigate the Canadian pharmaceutical landscape.

Buying Intent Signals for Akcea Therapeutics

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Executive Team of Akcea Therapeutics

As of April 2025, Akcea Therapeutics' leadership includes:

Damien McDevitt, Ph.D. - Chief Executive Officer
Michael D. Price - Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer
Louis St. L. O'Dea, M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O. - Chief Medical Officer
Sarah Boyce - President, Akcea Therapeutics International
Christopher CoSgrove - Chief Commercial Officer

Investors of Akcea Therapeutics

Akcea Therapeutics has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (Founding company and majority stakeholder before full acquisition)
Public Shareholders (Akcea was publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker AKCA)

Executive New Hires/Exits in the Last 12 Months

Hire1
Exits1

During the period leading up to its full acquisition by Ionis Pharmaceuticals in late 2020, Akcea Therapeutics saw key leadership transitions, notably in the Chief Executive Officer role. These changes were part of the company's evolution and strategic alignment before its integration into Ionis.

Departures

Paula Soteropoulos, Paula Soteropoulos resigned as CEO of Akcea Therapeutics.

New Appointments:

Damien McDevitt, Ph.D., Damien McDevitt, Ph.D., was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer for Akcea Therapeutics.

Technology (Tech Stack) used by Akcea Therapeutics

Discover the tools Akcea Therapeutics uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Akcea Therapeutics Email Formats and Examples

Prior to its acquisition by Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Akcea Therapeutics likely utilized standard corporate email formats. Common patterns included the first initial followed by the last name, or first name separated from the last name by a period, at their company domain.

[first_initial][last]@akceatx.com (e.g., jsmith@akceatx.com) or [first].[last]@akceatx.com (e.g., jane.smith@akceatx.com)

Format

dsmith@akceatx.com

Example

80 (Predicted historical success rate when the company was operational; current success rate is 0% as the domain is inactive for mail.)%

Success rate

News and media

Ionis Pharmaceuticals News ReleasesOctober 12, 2020

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Completes Acquisition of Akcea Therapeutics

Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced it had successfully completed its acquisition of Akcea Therapeutics. The transaction consolidated Ionis's leadership in RNA-targeted therapeutics and enabled full integration of Akcea's commercial-stage medicines TEGSEDI® (inotersen) and WAYLIVRA® (volanesorsen) and its pipeline....more

PR Newswire / Akcea TherapeuticsMarch 2, 2020

Akcea Therapeutics Appoints Damien McDevitt, Ph.D. as Chief Executive Officer

Akcea Therapeutics announced the appointment of Damien McDevitt, Ph.D., as its chief executive officer. Dr. McDevitt transitioned from his role as chief business officer at Ionis Pharmaceuticals to lead Akcea....more

Business Wire / Akcea TherapeuticsMay 3, 2019

Akcea and Ionis Announce WAYLIVRA® (volanesorsen) Receives Conditional Marketing Authorization in the European Union as the First and Only Treatment for Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS)

Akcea Therapeutics and Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that the European Commission (EC) granted conditional marketing authorization for WAYLIVRA® (volanesorsen) as an adjunct to diet in adult patients with genetically confirmed Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS) and at high risk for pancreatitis....more

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