ISIS Pharmaceuticals changes its name

It is a difficult time to be named ISIS — as ISIS Pharmaceuticals likely knows. The company announced Friday that they will be changing their name to Ionis Pharmaceuticals and introducing a new ticker symbol, "IONS," to replace "ISIS." The changes will become effective December 22.

CNBC notes that while Ionis didn't mention the Islamic State in its announcement, the company did say it decided to make the change because "when people see or hear our name, we want them to think about the life-saving medicines we are developing."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.