Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) CEO exercises options and sells 160,773 shares

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Chief Executive Officer Brett P. Monia reported a series of option exercises and stock sales. On March 9–10, 2026, Monia exercised non-qualified stock options covering 148,454 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $60.89 per share.

Across the same two days, Monia sold 160,773 shares of common stock in open-market transactions at weighted average prices in the mid‑$70 range. These sales were made pursuant to a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on December 8, 2025. Following the transactions, Monia directly owns 242,662 shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals common stock.

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

X

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Monia Brett P

(Last) (First) (Middle)

2855 GAZELLE COURT

(Street)

CARLSBAD CA 92010

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
IONIS PHARMACEUTICALS INC [ IONS ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	Chief Executive Officer

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/09/2026

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	03/09/2026		M		40,822	A	$60.89	295,803	D
Common Stock	03/09/2026		M		73,529	A	$60.89	369,332	D
Common Stock	03/09/2026		S		7,382(1)	D	$74.111(2)	361,950	D
Common Stock	03/09/2026		S		117,604(1)	D	$75.258(3)	244,346	D
Common Stock	03/09/2026		S		1,684(1)	D	$75.583(4)	242,662	D
Common Stock	03/10/2026		M		34,103	A	$60.89	276,765	D
Common Stock	03/10/2026		S		16,512(1)	D	$75.4745(5)	260,253	D
Common Stock	03/10/2026		S		17,591(1)	D	$76.3407(6)	242,662	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)	$60.89	03/09/2026		M			40,822	01/02/2021	01/01/2027	Common Stock	40,822	$0.0	107,632	D
Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)	$60.89	03/09/2026		M			73,529	01/02/2021	01/01/2027	Common Stock	73,529	$0.0	34,103	D
Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)	$60.89	03/10/2026		M			34,103	01/02/2021	01/01/2027	Common Stock	34,103	$0.0	0	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Shares sold pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan adopted by the reporting person on December 8, 2025

2. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $73.44 to $74.42 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide to Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. any security holder of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in footnote (2) on this Form 4.

3. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $74.54 to $75.54 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide to Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. any security holder of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in footnote (3) on this Form 4.

4. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $75.55 to $75.63 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide to Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. any security holder of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in footnote (4) on this Form 4.

5. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $75.005 to $76.00 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide to Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. any security holder of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in footnote (5) on this Form 4.

6. The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $76.02 to $76.70 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide to Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. any security holder of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in footnote (6) on this Form 4.

	By: Patrick R. O'Neil, attorney-in-fact For: Brett P. Monia	03/11/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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FAQ

What insider transactions did Ionis (IONS) CEO Brett Monia report?

Ionis CEO Brett P. Monia reported exercising non-qualified stock options for 148,454 common shares and selling 160,773 shares. The actions combined option exercise with partial share monetization while leaving him with a significant remaining direct ownership stake of 242,662 shares after the transactions.

How many Ionis Pharmaceuticals (IONS) shares did the CEO sell and at what prices?

Brett Monia sold 160,773 Ionis common shares in open-market transactions. The filing reports weighted average sale prices in ranges between approximately $73.44 and $76.70 per share, reflecting multiple trades executed across several price intervals on March 9 and March 10, 2026.

How many Ionis (IONS) shares did the CEO acquire through option exercises?

Through exercising non-qualified stock options, Brett Monia acquired 148,454 Ionis common shares at an exercise price of $60.89 per share. These exercises fully drew down the related option positions shown, converting derivative securities into directly held common stock during March 9–10, 2026.

What is Brett Monia’s Ionis (IONS) share ownership after these transactions?

After the reported option exercises and stock sales, Brett Monia directly owns 242,662 Ionis Pharmaceuticals common shares. This post-transaction figure reflects all acquisitions and dispositions in the Form 4 and represents his remaining visible direct equity position in the company’s stock.

Were the Ionis (IONS) CEO’s stock sales made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan?

Yes. The filing states that the reported share sales were executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by Brett Monia on December 8, 2025. Such pre-arranged plans schedule trades in advance to systematize selling and reduce sensitivity to short-term market movements.

What type of securities did the Ionis (IONS) CEO exercise in this Form 4?

The CEO exercised non-qualified stock options with an exercise price of $60.89 per share, each option representing the right to buy Ionis common stock. These options were scheduled to expire on January 1, 2027, and the reported exercises removed the related derivative positions shown in the filing.