Brett Monia, a founder of Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:IONS]]), is set to become chief operating officer of the Carlsbad, CA, company. Monia is currently head of drug discovery, where his oversight includes inotersen, a potential treatment for transthyretin amyloidosis. The rare disease causes the buildup of amyloid protein in the body’s organs and tissues. Earlier this month, Ionis filed for FDA approval of the drug, whose rights were returned to the company in August by former partner GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]). Monia begins his new role on Jan. 15.
