Edgar Filing: IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer

¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Smaller reporting company

Form 10-Q

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

x	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2012

¨	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For transition period from to .

Commission File Number: 001-31918

IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Delaware		04-3072298
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

167 Sidney Street Cambridge, Massachusetts		02139
(Address of principal executive offices)		(zip code)

(617) 679-5500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x


Common Stock, par value $.001 per share		27,637,728
Class		Outstanding as of April 30, 2012

IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

FORM 10-Q

INDEX


	Page
PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1 — Financial Statements — Unaudited		1
Condensed Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011		1
Condensed Statements of Comprehensive Loss for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2012 and 2011		2
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2012 and 2011		3
Notes to Condensed Financial Statements		4

Item 2 — Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations		13
Item 3 — Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk		23
Item 4 — Controls and Procedures		23
PART II — OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1A — Risk Factors		24
Item 6 — Exhibits		43
Signatures		44

IMO^® and Idera^® are our trademarks. All other trademarks and service marks appearing in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are the property of their respective owners.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included or incorporated in this report regarding our strategy, future operations, collaborations, intellectual property, financial position, future revenues, projected costs, prospects, plans, and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. The words “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “potential,” “likely,” “projects,” “continue,” “will,” and “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We cannot guarantee that we actually will achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements. These important factors include those set forth below under Part II, Item 1A “Risk Factors.” These factors and the other cautionary statements made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read as being applicable to all related forward-looking statements whenever they appear in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our estimates only as of the date that this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any subsequent date. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

PART I — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS

(UNAUDITED)


(In thousands, except per share amounts)	March 31, 2012			December 31, 2011
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	18,689		$	24,571
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		257			255

Total current assets		18,946			24,826
Property and equipment, net		375			458
Restricted cash		311			311

Total assets	$	19,632		$	25,595

LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	2,043		$	1,203
Accrued expenses		3,447			4,882

Total current liabilities		5,490			6,085
Warrant and other liabilities		2,650			1,565

Total liabilities		8,140			7,650
Commitments and contingencies
Series D Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value, Authorized, issued and outstanding — 1,124 shares at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011; Redemption amount $9,149; Liquidation preference $9,309		5,921			5,921
Non-redeemable preferred stock, common stock, and other stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, Authorized — 5,000 shares Series A convertible preferred stock, Designated — 1,500 shares, Issued and outstanding — 1 share		—			—
Common stock, $0.001 par value, Authorized — 70,000 shares Issued and outstanding —27,638 and 27,637 shares at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively		28			28
Additional paid-in capital		387,847			387,414
Accumulated deficit		(382,304	)		(375,418	)

Total stockholders’ equity		5,571			12,024

Total liabilities, redeemable preferred stock and stockholders’ equity	$	19,632		$	25,595

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(UNAUDITED)


	Three Months Ended March 31,
(In thousands, except per share amounts)	2012			2011
Alliance revenue	$	9		$	8
Operating expenses:
Research and development		3,813			4,553
General and administrative		1,689			2,286

Total operating expenses		5,502			6,839

Loss from operations		(5,493	)		(6,831	)
Other income (expense):
Increase in fair value of warrant liability		(1,321	)		—
Investment income, net		4			21
Foreign currency exchange loss		(76	)		(35	)

Net loss		(6,886	)		(6,845	)


Other comprehensive loss:
Decrease in unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities		—			(9	)

Other comprehensive loss		—			(9	)

Comprehensive loss	$	(6,886	)	$	(6,854	)


Net loss	$	(6,886	)	$	(6,845	)
Preferred stock dividends		160			—

Net loss applicable to common stockholders	$	(7,046	)	$	(6,845	)

Net loss per common share applicable to common stockholders (Note 10):
Basic	$	(0.25	)	$	(0.25	)

Diluted	$	(0.25	)	$	(0.25	)

Shares used in computing basic net loss per common share applicable to common stockholders		27,637			27,604

Shares used in computing diluted net loss per common share applicable to common stockholders		27,637			27,604

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(UNAUDITED)


	Three Months Ended March 31,
(In thousands)	2012			2011
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net loss	$	(6,886	)	$	(6,845	)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Loss from disposition of assets		1			—
Non-employee stock option expense		4			6
Stock-based compensation		588			660
Increase in fair value of warrant liability		1,321			—
Issuance of common stock for services rendered		—			13
Amortization of investment premiums		—			29
Depreciation expense		83			128
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		(2	)		(179	)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other liabilities		(992	)		(72	)

Net cash used in operating activities		(5,883	)		(6,260	)

Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Purchases of available-for-sale securities		—			(1,025	)
Proceeds from maturity of available-for-sale securities		—			11,385
Purchases of property and equipment		—			(18	)

Net cash provided by investing activities		—			10,342

Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from employee stock purchases		1			23
Payments on capital lease		—			(4	)

Net cash provided by financing activities		1			19

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents		(5,882	)		4,101
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		24,571			17,008

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$	18,689		$	21,109

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

March 31, 2012

(UNAUDITED)

(1) Organization

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Idera” or the “Company”) is a clinical stage biotechnology company engaged in the discovery and development of novel synthetic DNA- and RNA- based drug candidates. The Company is developing drug candidates that are designed to modulate immune responses mediated through Toll-like Receptors, or TLRs. The Company believes that the modulation of immune responses through TLRs provides a rationale for the development of drug candidates to treat a broad range of diseases. The Company is also evaluating gene silencing oligonucleotides, or GSOs, which inhibit the production of disease-associated proteins by targeting RNA. The Company believes that its GSO technology provides it with a platform from which drug candidates for diverse disease indications can be developed.

TLRs are specific receptors present in immune system cells. Using a chemistry-based approach, the Company has created synthetic DNA- and RNA-based compounds that are targeted to TLRs 3, 7, 8, and 9. A TLR agonist is a compound that stimulates an immune response through the targeted TLR. A TLR antagonist is a compound that blocks activation of an immune response through the targeted TLR. Drug candidates are compounds that the Company is developing and that have not been approved for any commercial use.

The Company is focusing its internal development efforts on TLR-targeted clinical candidates for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancer, and on the advancement of its GSO technology platform. The Company is seeking to advance its TLR-targeted programs in infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, hematologic oncology and the use of TLR3 agonists in vaccine adjuvant applications through collaborative alliances with pharmaceutical companies. The Company currently is collaborating with Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. (formerly Merck & Co., Inc.), which is referred to herein as Merck, for the use of agonists of TLRs 7, 8, and 9 as vaccine adjuvants for cancer, infectious diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease.

At March 31, 2012, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $382.3 million. The Company expects to incur substantial operating losses in future periods. The Company does not expect to generate significant funds or product revenue until it successfully completes development and obtains marketing approval for drug candidates, either alone or in collaborations with third parties, which it expects will take a number of years. In order to commercialize its drug candidates, the Company needs to address a number of technological challenges and to comply with comprehensive regulatory requirements.

The Company had cash and cash equivalents of $18.7 million at March 31, 2012. The Company believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund its operations at least into the first quarter of 2013 based on the current operating plan, including the conduct of its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of IMO-3100 in psoriasis that it initiated in April 2012 and the planned submission of an IND for IMO-8400, which the Company expects to occur in the fourth quarter of 2012. The Company will need to raise additional funds in order to operate its business beyond such time. Additional financing may not be available to the Company when it needs it or may not be available on favorable terms.

The Company is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties similar to those of other companies of the same size within the biotechnology industry, such as uncertainty of clinical trial outcomes, uncertainty of additional funding, and history of operating losses.

(2) Unaudited Interim Financial Statements

The accompanying unaudited financial statements included herein have been prepared by the Company in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, and disclosures considered necessary for a fair presentation of interim period results have been included. Interim results for the three months ended March 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the year ended December 31, 2012. For further information, refer to the financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, which was filed with the SEC on March 14, 2012.

(3) Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with maturities of 90 days or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 consisted of cash and money market funds.

(4) Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities

The Company measures fair value at the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date using assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability (the “inputs”) into a three-tier fair value hierarchy. This fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority (Level 1) to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities and the lowest priority (Level 3) to unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, requiring companies to develop their own assumptions. Observable inputs that do not meet the criteria of Level 1, and include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, are categorized as Level 2. Level 3 inputs are those that reflect the Company’s estimates about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, based on the best information available in the circumstances. Valuation techniques for assets and liabilities measured using Level 3 inputs may include unobservable inputs such as projections, estimates and management’s interpretation of current market data. These unobservable Level 3 inputs are only utilized to the extent that observable inputs are not available or cost-effective to obtain.

Effective January 1, 2012, the Company adopted, on a prospective basis, Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-04, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820)” (“ASU No. 2011-04”), which updates the existing fair value measurement guidance currently included in the Accounting Standards Codification to achieve common fair value measurement and disclosure requirements in United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and International Financial Reporting Standards. ASU No. 2011-04 is generally consistent with the Company’s previous fair value measurement policies but includes additional disclosure requirements, particularly for assets and liabilities that require the use of Level 3 inputs to measure fair value. The adoption of ASU No. 2011-04 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

The table below presents the assets and liabilities measured and recorded in the financial statements at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 categorized by the level of inputs used in the valuation of each asset and liability.


(In thousands)	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets or Liabilities (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)

March 31, 2012
Assets
Money market fund	$	18,660	$	18,660	$	—	$	—

Total assets	$	18,660	$	18,660	$	—	$	—

Liabilities
Warrant liability	$	2,499	$	—	$	—	$	2,499

Total liabilities	$	2,499	$	—	$	—	$	2,499


December 31, 2011
Assets
Money market fund	$	24,532	$	24,532	$	—	$	—

Total assets	$	24,532	$	24,532	$	—	$	—

Liabilities
Warrant liability	$	1,178	$	—	$	—	$	1,178

Total liabilities	$	1,178	$	—	$	—	$	1,178

The Level 1 assets consist of money market funds, which are actively traded daily. Although the Company did not have any Level 2 assets at March 31, 2012 or December 31, 2011, Level 2 assets typically consist of corporate bond investments whose fair value is generally determined from quoted market prices received from pricing services based upon quoted prices from active markets and/or other significant observable market transactions at fair value. Since these prices may not represent actual transactions of identical securities, they are classified as Level 2. Since any investments are classified as available-for-sale securities, any unrealized gains or losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss within stockholders’ equity on the balance sheet. The Company did not elect to measure any other financial assets or liabilities at fair value.

In connection with the sale of its Series D preferred stock in November 2011, the Company issued warrants which contained a provision for price protection in the event that the Company issues other equity securities at a price below $1.46 per share of common stock. Because of the potential adjustment to the warrant exercise price that could result from this provision, the warrants do not meet the criteria set forth in ASC 815-40 to be considered indexed to the Company’s own stock. Accordingly, the Company has recorded the fair value of these warrants as a liability. The Company estimated the fair value of these warrants at the issuance date using the Black-Scholes Model as the result was not significantly different than the use of a lattice or binomial model because the price protection provision is subject to a floor of $1.46 per share and the initial exercise price is $1.63. The Company characterized this warrant liability as a level 3 liability because its fair value measurement is based, in part, on significant inputs not observed in the market and reflects the Company’s assumptions as to the expected warrant exercise price, the expected volatility of the Company’s common stock, the expected dividend yield, the expected term of the warrant instrument and the expected percentage of warrants to be exercised.

The warrants will be revalued at the end of each quarter using the Black-Scholes Model and the change in the fair value of the warrants will be recognized in the statement of comprehensive loss as other income (expense). The following assumptions and other inputs were used to compute the fair value of the warrant liability as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:


	March 31, 2012			December 31, 2011
Common stock price	$	1.73		$	1.05
Expected warrant exercise price	$	1.63		$	1.46
Remaining term of warrant (years)		4.6			4.8
Expected volatility		61	%		58	%
Average risk free interest rate		0.9	%		0.8	%
Expected dividend yield		—			—
Expected percentage of warrants to be exercised		100	%		100	%

The closing price of the Company’s common stock is readily determinable since it is publicly traded. The exercise price of the warrant was initially set at $1.63 and may be adjusted to as low as the $1.46 minimum exercise price per share for diluting effects such as if in specified circumstances the Company sells its common stock at a price below $1.46 per share. The Company used the $1.46 minimum exercise price as an assumption in computing the fair value of the warrant at December 31, 2011 because the Company’s common stock was trading below $1.46. The Company used the $1.63 maximum exercise price as an assumption in computing the fair value of the warrant at March 31, 2012 because the Company’s common stock was trading above $1.63 on March 31, 2012. The estimated remaining term of the warrant is readily determinable from the warrant agreement as it is the remaining contractual term. The expected volatility is based on the actual stock-price volatility over a period equal to the greater of the remaining term of the warrant or three years. The assumed risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury security rate with a term equal to the remaining term of the warrant. The assumed dividend yield of zero is based on the fact that the Company has never paid cash dividends to common stockholders and has no present intention to pay cash dividends to common stockholders. The Company assumed that future financings would dilute the warrant holder’s ownership in the Company such that the 19.99% ownership limitation would not prevent the warrant holder from exercising all of the warrants during the term of the warrants.

The Company expects that the closing price of its common stock will be the most significant input in determining the fair value of the warrants at the end of each quarter. The Company expects that fluctuations in the unobservable input assumptions, including the expected warrant exercise price, the expected volatility of the Company’s common stock, the expected dividend yield and the expected percentage of warrants to be exercised, will generally have less significant effects on the fair value of the warrants than the closing price of the Company’s common stock at the end of each quarter. For example, the Company expects 100% of the warrants to be exercised based on the assumption that future financings will dilute the warrant holder’s ownership in the Company such that the 19.99% ownership limitation will not prevent the warrant holder from exercising all of the warrants during the term of the warrants. The Company does not expect that this assumption will change over the next few years given the Company’s reliance on equity financings to fund its research and development programs. The Company may change the expected percentage of warrants to be exercised assumption if the warrants remain unexercised and are out of the money with a remaining term of less than six months.

The fair value of the warrant liability increased from $1,178,000 at December 31, 2011 to $2,499,000 at March 31, 2012 primarily due to an increase in the price of the Company’s common stock. The increase in the fair value of the warrant liability resulted in the recognition of a $1,321,000 expense in other income (expense) for the three months ended March 31, 2012. The Company expects that the fair value of the warrant liability will vary significantly in the future resulting in material non-operating charges and credits in future periods.

(5) Property and Equipment

At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, net property and equipment at cost consisted of the following:


(In thousands)	March 31, 2012		December 31, 2011
Leasehold improvements	$	525	$	525
Laboratory equipment and other		2,864		2,898

Total property and equipment, at cost		3,389		3,423
Less: accumulated depreciation		3,014		2,965

Property and equipment, net	$	375	$	458

Depreciation expense was approximately $83,000 and $128,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

(6) Restricted Cash

As part of the Company’s lease arrangement for its office and laboratory facility, the Company is required to restrict cash for a security deposit. As of March 31, 2012, the restricted cash amounted to $311,000 held in certificates of deposit securing a line of credit for the lessor.

(7) Change in Accumulated Balance of Component of Other Comprehensive Loss

Effective January 1, 2012, the Company adopted Accounting Standard Update No. 2011-05, “Comprehensive Income” (“ASU No. 2011-05”), which requires companies to present the components of net income and other comprehensive income either as one continuous statement or as two consecutive statements. ASU No. 2011-05 is applied retroactively to all periods presented. ASU No. 2011-05 eliminates the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders’ equity. The update does not change the items which must be reported in other comprehensive income, how such items are measured or when they must be reclassified to net income. The adoption of ASU No. 2011-05 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

The following table includes the changes in the accumulated balance of the component of other comprehensive loss for the three months ended March 31, 2011.


(In thousands)	Three months ended March 31, 2011
Accumulated unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities at beginning of period	$	13
Decrease during the period		(9	)

Accumulated unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities at end of period	$	4

There was no accumulated unrealized gain or loss on available-for-sale securities during the first three months of 2012.

(8) Collaboration and License Agreements

(a) Collaboration and License Agreement with Merck KGaA

In December 2007, the Company entered into an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Merck KGaA to research, develop and commercialize products containing its TLR9 agonists, including IMO-2055, for the treatment of cancer, excluding cancer vaccines. Under the terms of the agreement: Merck KGaA paid the Company in February 2008 a

$40.0 million upfront license fee in Euros of which $39.7 million was received due to foreign currency exchange rates in effect at that time, and Merck KGaA agreed to reimburse costs for the Company’s IMO-2055 clinical trials for the period in which the Company continued to conduct the trials on behalf of Merck KGaA. In February 2009, the agreement was amended so that the Company could initiate and conduct on behalf of Merck KGaA additional clinical trials of IMO-2055, and Merck KGaA agreed to reimburse the Company for costs associated with any additional trials that the Company initiated and conducted. As of March 2010, Merck KGaA assumed sponsorship of all ongoing clinical trials of IMO-2055 for the treatment of cancer, and responsibility for all further clinical development of IMO-2055 in the treatment of cancer, excluding vaccines.

The Company recognized the $40.0 million upfront payment as revenue over the twenty-eight month term that ended in June 2010, which was the Company’s period of continuing involvement under the research collaboration. The Company has recognized a total of $12.1 million of milestone revenue related to the initiation of clinical trials of IMO-2055.

In November 2011, the Company and Merck KGaA entered into a termination agreement terminating the license agreement. Under the termination agreement:

•

the license agreement was terminated and the Company regained all rights for developing TLR9 agonists for the treatment of cancer, including all rights to IMO-2055 and any follow-on TLR9 agonists;

•

Merck KGaA agreed to continue to conduct the Phase 2 trial of IMO-2055 in combination with cetuximab that was then ongoing and other specified related activities;

•

Merck KGaA agreed to complete and analyze all clinical trials that Merck KGaA had initiated or for which Merck KGaA had assumed sponsorship and to finalize clinical study reports;

•

the Company gained rights to the data from the Phase 2 trial of IMO-2055 in combination with cetuximab, as well as to the data from the Phase 1 trials conducted in other cancer indications;

•

the Company agreed to reimburse Merck KGaA a maximum of €1.8 million ($2.4 million at March 31, 2012) of Merck KGaA’s costs for the third party contract research organization that is coordinating the Phase 2 trial of IMO-2055 in combination with cetuximab, payable in eleven installments comprised of ten monthly installments to be invoiced by Merck KGaA to the Company commencing on March 1, 2012 and a final payment payable by the Company to Merck KGaA upon Merck KGaA’s completion of certain specified activities;

•

the Company agreed to pay to Merck KGaA one-time €1.0 million ($1.3 million at March 31, 2012) milestone payments upon occurrence of each of the following milestones: (i) partnering of IMO-2055 between the Company and any third party, (ii) initiation of any Phase 2 or Phase 3 clinical trial for IMO-2055 and (iii) regulatory submission of IMO-2055 in any country; and

•

Merck KGaA granted the Company an option to obtain a license to certain manufacturing and formulation know-how owned or developed by Merck KGaA under the License Agreement and to Merck KGaA’s IMOxine trademark. The Company’s option to license the IMOxine trademark has expired. If the Company elects to exercise its option with respect to the manufacturing and formulation know-how, the Company has agreed to pay a low single digit royalty on net sales of IMO-2055, with respect to such license.

(b) Collaboration and License Agreement with Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.

In December 2006, the Company entered into an exclusive, worldwide license and research collaboration agreement with Merck to research, develop, and commercialize vaccine products containing the Company’s TLR7, 8, and 9 agonists in the fields of cancer, infectious diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company granted Merck exclusive rights to a number of the Company’s TLR7, 8, and 9 agonists for use in combination with Merck’s therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines under development in the fields of cancer, infectious diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. The Company also agreed with Merck to engage in a two-year research collaboration to generate novel agonists targeting TLR7 and TLR8 incorporating both Merck and the Company’s chemistry for use in vaccines in the defined fields, which collaboration was extended by Merck for two additional one-year periods. Under the terms of the agreement: Merck paid the Company a $20.0 million upfront license fee; Merck purchased $10.0 million of the Company’s common stock at $5.50 per share; and Merck agreed to fund the research and development collaboration. Merck also agreed to pay the Company milestone payments as follows: up to $165.0 million if vaccines containing the Company’s TLR9 agonist

compounds are successfully developed and marketed in each of the oncology, infectious disease, and Alzheimer’s disease fields; up to $260.0 million if vaccines containing the Company’s TLR9 agonist compounds are successfully developed and marketed for follow-on indications in the oncology field and if vaccines containing the Company’s TLR7 or TLR8 agonists are successfully developed and marketed in each of the oncology, infectious disease, and Alzheimer’s disease fields; and if Merck develops and commercializes additional vaccines using the Company’s agonists, the Company would be entitled to receive additional milestone payments. In addition, Merck agreed to pay the Company mid to upper single-digit royalties on net product sales of vaccines using the Company’s TLR agonist technology that are developed and marketed.

The Company recognized the $20.0 million upfront payment as revenue over four years, including the initial two-year research term and the two-year extension period that ended in December 2010, which was the Company’s period of continuing involvement under the research collaboration.

In December 2006, in connection with the execution of the license and collaboration agreement, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement with Merck. Pursuant to such stock purchase agreement, the Company issued and sold to Merck 1,818,182 shares of the Company’s common stock for a price of $5.50 per share resulting in aggregate gross proceeds of $10.0 million.

The Company has recognized a total of $1.0 million of milestone revenue under the license and collaboration agreement, which related to the achievement of a preclinical milestone with one of its TLR9 agonists used as an adjuvant in cancer vaccines.

(9) Stock-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes all share-based payments to employees and directors in the financial statements based on their fair values. The Company records compensation expense over an award’s requisite service period, or vesting period, based on the award’s fair value at the date of grant. The Company’s policy is to charge the fair value of stock options as an expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, which is generally four years for employees and three years for directors. Generally, the vesting of all of the Company’s stock options was based on the passage of time and the employees’ continued service. In December 2011 and January 2012, the Company granted performance based stock options to purchase a total of 697,500 shares of common stock to employees. Of this amount, options to purchase 174,375 shares will vest immediately upon the achievement of various performance conditions and options to purchase 523,125 shares will begin to vest over a three year service period upon the achievement of the same performance conditions. During the three months ended March 31, 2012 one of the specified performance conditions was achieved and options to purchase 87,189 shares began vesting in accordance with the terms of the performance based options. The Company recognizes expense over the implicit and explicit service periods for awards with performance conditions when the Company determines the achievement of the performance conditions to be probable.

The Company recorded charges of $588,000 and $660,000 in its statements of comprehensive loss for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, for stock-based compensation expense attributable to share-based payments made to employees and directors. The fair value of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The following assumptions apply to the options to purchase 37,500 shares of common stock granted to employees during the three months ended March 31, 2012:


	Three Months Ended March 31, 2012
Average risk free interest rate		1.1	%
Expected dividend yield		—
Expected lives (years)		5.8
Expected volatility		67.0	%
Weighted average grant date fair value of options granted during the period (per share)	$	0.69

Weighted average exercise price of options granted during the period (per share)	$	1.15

The Company did not grant any stock options during the three months ended March 31, 2011. The expected lives of the options and the expected volatility are based on historical experience. All options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 were granted at exercise prices equal to the fair market value of the common stock on the dates of grant.

(10) Net Loss per Common Share Applicable to Common Stockholders

For the three months ended March 31, 2011, basic and diluted net loss per common share applicable to common stockholders is computed using the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per common share applicable to common stockholders is the same as basic net loss per common share applicable to common stockholders as the effects of the Company’s potential common stock equivalents are antidilutive. Total antidilutive securities were 16,018,566 and 9,153,788 for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and consist of stock options, preferred stock and warrants.

For the three months ended March 31, 2012, net loss per common share applicable to common stockholders reflects $0.2 million in dividends payable on shares of our Series D redeemable convertible preferred stock that was issued in November 2011.

(11) Common Stock Issuances

During the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company issued 721 shares and 10,788 shares, respectively, of common stock in connection with stock option exercises and employee stock purchases, which resulted in total proceeds to the Company of $1,000 and $23,000, respectively.

(12) Related Party Transactions

The Company paid certain directors consulting fees of approximately $1,000 and $10,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The $1,000 paid in the 2012 period was associated with services performed in 2011.

(13) Subsequent Event

On April 12, 2012, the Company entered into a sales agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with Cowen and Company, LLC (“Cowen”) pursuant to which the Company may issue and sell shares of its common stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $10,000,000 from time to time through Cowen as its sales agent. Cowen may sell the Company’s common stock by methods deemed to be an “at-the-market” offering (the “Offering”), as defined under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on the NASDAQ Global Market, on any other existing trading market for the common stock or to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. With the Company’s prior written approval, Cowen may also sell the Company’s common stock by any other method permitted by law, including in privately negotiated transactions.

Cowen has agreed to offer the common stock subject to the terms and conditions of the Sales Agreement on a daily basis or as otherwise agreed upon by the Company and Cowen. The Company will designate the maximum amount of common stock to be sold through Cowen on a daily basis or otherwise determine such maximum amount together with Cowen. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Sales Agreement, Cowen has agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell on the Company’s behalf all of the shares of common stock requested to be sold by the Company. The Company may instruct Cowen not to sell common stock if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by the Company in any such instruction. The Company or Cowen may suspend the offering of the common stock being made through Cowen under the Sales Agreement upon proper notice to the other party. The Company and Cowen each have the right, by giving written notice as specified in the Sales Agreement, to terminate the sales agreement in each party’s sole discretion at any time.

The Sales Agreement provides that Cowen will be entitled to aggregate compensation for its services equal to 3.0% of the gross sales price per share of all shares sold through Cowen under the Sales Agreement. The Company has no obligation to sell any shares under the Sales Agreement. The Company has agreed in the Sales Agreement to provide indemnification and contribution to Cowen against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In addition, the Company has agreed, under certain circumstances, to reimburse a portion of the expenses of Cowen in connection with the Offering up to a maximum of $50,000. The shares will be issued pursuant to the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S–3 (File No. 333-169060).

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

GENERAL

We are a clinical stage biotechnology company engaged in the discovery and development of novel synthetic DNA- and RNA- based drug candidates. We are developing drug candidates that are designed to modulate immune responses mediated through Toll-like Receptors, or TLRs. We believe that the modulation of immune responses through TLRs provides a rationale for the development of drug candidates to treat a broad range of diseases. We are also evaluating gene silencing oligonucleotides, or GSOs, which inhibit the production of disease-associated proteins by targeting RNA. We believe that our GSO technology provides us with a platform from which drug candidates for diverse disease indications can be developed.

TLRs are specific receptors present in immune system cells. Using a chemistry-based approach, we have created synthetic DNA- and RNA-based compounds that are targeted to TLRs 3, 7, 8, and 9. A TLR agonist is a compound that stimulates an immune response through the targeted TLR. A TLR antagonist is a compound that blocks activation of an immune response through the targeted TLR. Drug candidates are compounds that we are developing and that have not been approved for any commercial use.

We are focusing our internal development efforts on TLR-targeted clinical candidates for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and on the advancement of our GSO technology platform. We currently are collaborating with Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. (formerly Merck & Co., Inc.), which is referred to herein as Merck, for the use of agonists of TLRs 7, 8, and 9 as vaccine adjuvants for cancer, infectious diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disease Program. We are developing IMO-3100, an antagonist of TLR7 and TLR9, for the treatment of psoriasis. We are conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial of IMO-3100 in adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, which we initiated in the second quarter of 2012. In addition, we have selected IMO-8400, an antagonist of TLRs 7, 8, and 9, for development in the treatment of lupus. We are conducting nonclinical studies of IMO-8400 to support the submission of an Investigational New Drug Application, or IND, for IMO-8400. We expect to submit this IND to the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, in the fourth quarter of 2012. We have evaluated IMO-3100 and IMO-8400 in preclinical models of several autoimmune diseases including psoriasis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. In these models, treatment with IMO-3100 or IMO-8400 was associated with improvement in a number of disease parameters.

Cancer Program. In November 2011, we reacquired rights to IMO-2055, an agonist of TLR9 in clinical development for the treatment of cancer, from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, our former collaborator. We believe that IMO-2055 can be developed for use as an immune modifier in combination with targeted anticancer agents in certain cancer indications and intend to seek to enter into collaborations with pharmaceutical companies to advance the use of IMO-2055 in the treatment of cancer.

At the time we reacquired the rights from Merck KGaA, Merck KGaA was conducting three clinical trials of IMO-2055. As part of our agreement with Merck KGaA, Merck KGaA agreed to continue to conduct and complete the trials. In January 2012, we announced favorable data from a Phase 1b clinical trial of IMO-2055 being conducted by Merck KGaA in combination with erlotinib and bevacizumab in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Progression-free survival in the non-small cell lung cancer Phase 1b clinical trial was 5.6 months, with a median overall survival of 16 months. In April 2012, we received from Merck KGaA results from a Phase 1b clinical trial of IMO-2055 in combination with cetuximab and the chemotherapy regimen FOLFIRI being conducted by Merck KGaA in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer. The Phase 1b colorectal cancer trial was designed to determine a recommended dose level to be evaluated in a Phase 2 trial of IMO-2055 in combination with chemotherapy and cetuximab. In May 2012 we announced top-line results from a randomized Phase 2 clinical trial of IMO-2055 being conducted by Merck KGaA in combination with cetuximab in second-line patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The Phase 2 SCCHN trial did not meet its primary endpoint of improved progression-free survival following treatment with IMO-2055 in combination with cetuximab compared to treatment with cetuximab alone.

Gene Silencing Oligonucleotide Technology Platform. Our GSOs are single-stranded RNA or DNA constructs that are complementary to targeted mRNA sequences of therapeutic interest. In preclinical studies, our GSOs have inhibited in vivo gene expression without requiring a delivery enhancement technology.

Additional Programs. In addition to our clinical programs in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and in cancer, we have identified TLR drug candidates for applications in the treatment of infectious diseases, respiratory diseases and hematological malignancies, and TLR3 agonists for use as vaccine adjuvants. We are seeking to enter into collaborations with pharmaceutical companies to advance these applications.

At March 31, 2012, we had an accumulated deficit of $382.3 million. We expect to incur substantial operating losses in future periods. We do not expect to generate significant product revenue, sales-based milestones or royalties until we successfully complete development and obtain marketing approval for drug candidates, either alone or in collaborations with third parties, which we expect will take a number of years. In order to commercialize our drug candidates, we need to complete clinical development and to comply with comprehensive regulatory requirements. In 2012, we expect that our research and development expenses will be comparable to our research and development expenses in 2011.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

This management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based on our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates and judgments, including those related to revenue recognition, stock-based compensation and our Series D redeemable convertible preferred stock and related warrants. Management bases its estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

We regard an accounting estimate or assumption underlying our financial statements as a “critical accounting estimate” where:

•

the nature of the estimate or assumption is material due to the level of subjectivity and judgment necessary to account for highly uncertain matters or the susceptibility of such matters to change; and

•

the impact of the estimates and assumptions on financial condition or operating performance is material.

Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 of the notes to our financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Not all of these significant policies, however, fit the definition of critical accounting policies and estimates. We believe that our accounting policies relating to revenue recognition, stock-based compensation and our Series D redeemable convertible preferred stock and related warrants, as described under the caption “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, fit the description of critical accounting estimates and judgments. There were no changes in these policies during the three months ended March 31, 2012.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Three Months Ended March 31, 2012 and 2011

Alliance Revenue

Alliance revenue consisted of reimbursement by licensees of costs associated with patent maintenance, amounting to $9,000 and $8,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

We did not recognize any revenue under our collaboration with Merck KGaA, which terminated in November 2011, or our collaboration with Merck, in the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses decreased by $740,000, or 16%, from $4,553,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2011, to $3,813,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2012. In the following table, research and development expense is set forth in the following five categories which are discussed beneath the table:


	Three Months Ended March 31, (in thousands)				Percentage Increase
	2012		2011		(Decrease)
IMO-3100 external development expense	$	239	$	254		(6	)%
IMO-2055 external development expense		2		—		—
IMO-2125 external development expense		125		1,231		(90	)%
Other drug development expense		1,897		1,024		85	%
Basic discovery expense		1,550		2,044		(24	)%


	$	3,813	$	4,553		(16	)%

IMO-3100 External Development Expenses. These expenses include external expenses that we have incurred in connection with IMO-3100 since November 2009, when we commenced clinical development of IMO-3100. These external expenses include payments to independent contractors and vendors for drug development activities conducted after the initiation of IMO-3100 clinical development but exclude internal costs such as payroll and overhead expenses. We incurred approximately $7,671,000 in external development expenses from November 2009 through March 31, 2012, including costs associated with our clinical trials in healthy subjects we initiated in 2010, manufacturing and process development activities related to the production of IMO-3100, and additional nonclinical toxicology studies.

The decrease in IMO-3100 expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2012, as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2011, was primarily attributable to lower costs associated with nonclinical studies during the 2012 period and costs incurred during the 2011 period for the manufacture of IMO-3100 drug supply for the Phase 2 clinical trial we initiated in April 2012, partially offset by costs incurred in the 2012 period in connection with the preparation for our Phase 2 clinical trial of IMO-3100.

In the three months ended March 31, 2011, we completed the additional nonclinical toxicology studies and drug supply manufacturing activities for IMO-3100 that we had begun in 2010. In the three months ended March 31, 2012, we were preparing for the initiation of our ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate IMO-3100 in patients with psoriasis over a four-week treatment period.

The ongoing Phase 2 trial of IMO-3100 is a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study in patients with psoriasis. The trial is designed to evaluate the safety and markers of efficacy of IMO-3100 as a monotherapy. In the study, 45 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis will receive IMO-3100 at 0.16 or 0.32 mg/kg or placebo (saline) by

subcutaneous injection once weekly for four weeks. Assessments of safety will be performed throughout the treatment and follow-up periods. Psoriasis intensity will be monitored throughout the study. Skin biopsies of an active psoriasis plaque will be obtained prior to treatment and one week after the last treatment, and will be analyzed by immunohistologic staining for changes in epidermal thickness, immune cell infiltrates and cytokine expression. This trial is being conducted at multiple sites in the United States, and skin biopsies will be analyzed at a central laboratory. We expect to complete the Phase 2 study for IMO-3100 in patients with psoriasis during the first half of 2013.

IMO-2055 External Development Expenses. These expenses include external expenses that we have incurred in connection with IMO-2055. These external expenses include payments to independent contractors and vendors for drug development activities conducted after the initiation of IMO-2055 clinical development, but exclude internal costs such as payroll and overhead expenses. We commenced clinical development of IMO-2055 in 2003 and from 2003 through March 31, 2012 we incurred approximately $19,875,000 in external development expenses, including costs associated with our clinical trials, manufacturing, process development activities related to the production of IMO-2055, additional nonclinical toxicology studies, and the cost of regaining our rights to IMO-2055 and follow-on compounds for use in the treatment of cancer, excluding cancer vaccines, under the termination agreement discussed below.

Under our collaboration with Merck KGaA, Merck KGaA was responsible for developing IMO-2055 for the treatment of cancer excluding vaccines. Merck KGaA refers to IMO-2055 as EMD 1201081. Prior to March 2010, we conducted clinical trials of IMO-2055 under the collaboration and Merck KGaA reimbursed us. As of March 2010, Merck KGaA assumed sponsorship of all ongoing clinical trials of IMO-2055 for the treatment of cancer and responsibility for all further clinical development of IMO-2055 in the treatment of cancer. As a result of Merck KGaA’s assumption of sponsorship of the trials, we did not incur significant expenses for IMO-2055 development during the three months ended March 31, 2011.

On November 30, 2011, we entered into an agreement to terminate our collaboration with Merck KGaA and to regain rights for developing TLR9 agonists for the treatment of cancer. In connection with the termination agreement, we agreed to reimburse Merck KGaA for up to €1,816,000 ($2,423,000 at March 31, 2012) of Merck KGaA’s costs for the third party contract research organization that is coordinating the Phase 2 trial of IMO-2055 in combination with cetuximab, payable in eleven installments commencing on March 1, 2012 including a final payment payable upon Merck KGaA’s completion of certain specified activities. We also agreed to pay to Merck KGaA one-time €1,000,000 ($1,334,000 at March 31, 2012) milestone payments upon occurrence of each of the following milestones: (i) partnering of IMO-2055 with any third party, (ii) initiation of any Phase 2 or Phase 3 clinical trial for IMO-2055 and (iii) regulatory submission of IMO-2055 in any country. We recorded, in research and development expense during the three months ended December 31, 2011, €1,816,000 ($2,423,000 at November 30, 2011) in installment payments which represents the cost of regaining our rights to IMO-2055 and follow-on compounds for use in the treatment of cancer, excluding cancer vaccines. Under the agreement, Merck KGaA agreed to continue to conduct the Phase 2 trial of IMO-2055 in combination with cetuximab and other specified related activities and to complete and analyze all clinical trials that Merck KGaA had initiated or for which Merck KGaA had assumed sponsorship and to finalize clinical study reports. As a result, we did not incur significant expenses for IMO-2055 development during the three months ended March 31, 2012. Any milestone payments will be recorded at the time that any milestones are achieved.

In January 2012, we announced favorable top-line data from a Phase 1b clinical trial of IMO-2055 in combination with erlotinib and bevacizumab in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. In the trial, progression-free survival was 5.6 months, median overall survival was 16 months, and the disease control rate, which is the percentage of patients who experience a response of stable disease or better, was 79%. We expect to present the detailed data from this trial at a scientific conference.

In April 2012, we received from Merck KGaA results from a Phase 1b clinical trial of IMO-2055 in combination with cetuximab and the chemotherapy regimen FOLFIRI in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer. The primary objective of this study was to determine the recommended Phase 2 dose of IMO-2055 when combined with cetuximab and FOLFIRI. Fifteen patients were enrolled in the dose escalation portion of the study and received IMO-2055 at 0.16, 0.32, or 0.48 mg/kg/week in combination with weekly cetuximab and FOLFIRI once every two weeks. The combination of IMO-2055, cetuximab, and FOLFIRI was generally well tolerated, and 0.48 mg/kg/week was identified as the recommended Phase 2 dose of IMO-2055 in this setting.

In May 2012, we announced top-line results from a Phase 2 clinical trial conducted by Merck KGaA of IMO-2055 in combination with cetuximab in second-line cetuximab-naïve patients with recurrent or metastatic SCCHN who previously progressed on chemotherapy. In this study, 106 patients with SCCHN were randomized into two arms of 53 patients each. In one arm, patients were treated with IMO-2055 at a dose of 0.32 mg/kg given subcutaneously once weekly in combination with weekly cetuximab. In the other arm of the study, patients were treated with cetuximab alone. Crossover of the patients who progressed on cetuximab alone was permitted to the combination arm of IMO-2055 and cetuximab. The trial was conducted at multiple centers in Europe and the United States. The primary endpoint of the study was progression-free survival. Secondary outcome measures included overall response rate (by RECIST), disease control rate, overall survival, and safety and tolerability in subjects treated with IMO-2055 plus cetuximab compared to cetuximab alone. In the study, the combination of IMO-2055 and cetuximab did not meet the primary endpoint. The median progression-free survival based on investigator assessments was 2.9 months in both arms; based on independent radiology review it was 1.9 months in the cetuximab arm and 1.5 months in the combination arm. The hazard ratio in both evaluations was 1.1 with no statistical difference between the treatment arms. The relative dose intensity was 96% for IMO-2055 and 99% for cetuximab in the combination arm, and was 96% for cetuximab in the cetuximab-alone arm. We expect to present the detailed data from this trial at a scientific conference.

We intend to seek to enter into collaborations with pharmaceutical companies to advance the use of IMO-2055 in the treatment of cancer.

IMO-2125 External Development Expenses. These expenses include external expenses that we have incurred in connection with IMO-2125. These external expenses include payments to independent contractors and vendors for drug development activities conducted after the initiation of IMO-2125 clinical development, but exclude internal costs such as payroll and overhead expenses. We commenced clinical development of IMO-2125 in May 2007 and from May 2007 through March 31, 2012 we have incurred approximately $16,480,000 in external development, including costs associated with our clinical trials manufacturing, process development activities related to the production of IMO-2125, and additional nonclinical toxicology studies.

The decrease in IMO-2125 external development expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2012, as compared to the corresponding 2011 period, reflects our determination to discontinue further development of IMO-2125 in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection, or HCV, in the third quarter of 2011. IMO-2125 external development expenses during the first three months of 2011 included costs associated with preparation for the Phase 2 clinical trial of IMO-2125 we planned to initiate in the second quarter of 2011, conduct of additional nonclinical toxicology studies of IMO-2125 and costs associated with the two Phase 1 clinical trials for which we completed all patient activities prior to the end of 2010. IMO-2125 external development expenses during the first three months of 2012 were related primarily to costs associated with the completion of nonclinical studies and costs associated with the maintenance of the clinical drug supply. We expect that IMO-2125 external development expenses will be significantly lower in future periods.

Other Drug Development Expenses. These expenses include external expenses associated with preclinical development of identified compounds in anticipation of advancing these compounds into clinical development. In addition, these expenses include internal costs, such as payroll and overhead expenses, associated with preclinical development and products in clinical development. The external expenses associated with preclinical compounds include payments to contract vendors for manufacturing and the related stability studies, preclinical studies, including animal toxicology and pharmacology studies, and professional fees. Expenses associated with products in clinical development include costs associated with our Autoimmune Disease Scientific Advisory Board.

The increase in other drug development expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2012, as compared to the corresponding 2011 period, was primarily due to costs of preclinical studies and manufacturing activities to support the planned submission of an IND for IMO-8400 during the fourth quarter of 2012, and were partially offset by lower employee expenses in the first three months of 2012.

Basic Discovery Expenses. These expenses include our internal and external expenses relating to our discovery efforts with respect to our TLR-targeted programs, including agonists and antagonists of TLRs 3, 7, 8 and 9, TLR antisense, and GSOs. These expenses reflect payments for laboratory supplies, external research, and professional fees, as well as payroll and overhead expenses. The decrease in basic discovery expenses in the three months ended March 31, 2012, as compared to the corresponding 2011 period, was primarily due to decreases in the cost of laboratory supplies and employee compensation.

We do not know if we will be successful in developing any drug candidate from our research and development programs. At this time, without knowing the results of the ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of IMO-3100, and without an established plan for future clinical tests of drug candidates, we cannot reasonably estimate or know the nature, timing, and costs of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the remainder of the development of, or the period, if any, in which material net cash inflows may commence from, any drug candidate from our research and development programs. Moreover, the clinical development of any drug candidate from our research and development programs is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the duration and cost of clinical trials, which vary significantly over the life of a project as a result of unanticipated events arising during clinical development.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses decreased by $597,000, or 26%, from $2,286,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2011, to $1,689,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2012. General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salary expense, stock compensation expense, consulting fees and professional legal fees associated with our patent applications and maintenance, our corporate regulatory filing requirements, our corporate legal matters, and our business development initiatives. The decrease in general and administration expenses during the three months ended March 31, 2012, as compared to the corresponding 2011 period, was primarily due to lower legal costs associated with patent matters and lower employee compensation during the 2012 period.

Increase in Fair Value of Warrant Liability

During November 2011 we recorded a warrant liability reflecting the fair value of the warrants issued in our November 2011 financing. We determined the warrant to be a derivative instrument because it contains a specified anti-dilution provision that does not meet the “indexed to the company’s own stock” exemption requirements in ASC 815-40, “Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in an Entity’s own Stock.” The warrant was classified as a liability, recorded at fair value as of the transaction date and is being marked to fair value through earnings each quarter. The fair value of the warrants increased from $1,178,000 at December 31, 2011 to $2,499,000 at March 31, 2012 primarily due to an increase in the market price of our common stock. The increase in the fair value of the warrant liability resulted in the recognition of a $1,321,000 non-operating expense in the three months ended March 31, 2012. We expect that the fair value of the warrant liability will vary significantly in the future resulting in material non-operating charges and credits in future periods.

Investment Income, net

Investment income, net, decreased by approximately $17,000, or 81%, from $21,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2011 to $4,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2012 because all of our invested funds were deposited in a money market fund which pays minimal interest.

Foreign Currency Exchange Loss

Our foreign currency exchange loss amounted to $76,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2012 primarily due to the impact that the decreasing value of the U.S. dollar had on our Euro-denominated accrued liabilities associated with the cost of re-gaining the rights to our cancer program and our clinical trial obligations. Our foreign currency exchange loss amounted to $35,000 in the three months ended March 31, 2011 primarily due to the impact that the decreasing value of the U.S. dollar had on our Euro-denominated accrued liabilities associated with our clinical trial obligations.

Preferred Stock Dividends

The $160,000 in preferred stock dividends in the three months ended March 31, 2012 consists of dividends payable on shares of our Series D preferred stock that we issued in November 2011.

Net Loss Applicable to Common Stockholders

As a result of the factors discussed above, our net loss applicable to common stockholders was $7,046,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2012, compared to $6,845,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2011. Since January 1, 2001, we have primarily been involved in the development of our TLR pipeline. From January 1, 2001 through March 31, 2012, we incurred losses of $122,111,000. We also incurred net losses of $260,193,000 prior to December 31, 2000 during which time we were primarily involved in the development of non-TLR targeted antisense technology. Since our inception, we had an accumulated deficit of $382,304,000 through March 31, 2012. We expect to continue to incur substantial operating losses in the future.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Sources of Liquidity

We require cash to fund our operating expenses and to make capital expenditures. Historically, we have funded our cash requirements primarily through the following:

•

equity and debt financing;

•

license fees, research funding and milestone payments under collaborative and license agreements;

•

interest income; and

•

lease financings.

Cowen Sales Agreement

On April 12, 2012, we entered into a sales agreement (the “sales agreement”) with Cowen and Company, LLC (“Cowen”) pursuant to which we may issue and sell shares of our common stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $10,000,000 from time to time through Cowen as our sales agent. Cowen may sell our common stock by methods deemed to be an “at-the-market” offering (the “Offering”), as defined under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on the NASDAQ Global Market, on any other existing trading market for our common stock or to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. With our prior written approval, Cowen may also sell our common stock by any other method permitted by law, including in privately negotiated transactions.

Cowen has agreed to offer the common stock subject to the terms and conditions of the sales agreement on a daily basis or as otherwise agreed upon by us and Cowen. We will designate the maximum amount of our common stock to be sold through Cowen on a daily basis or otherwise determine such maximum amount together with Cowen. Subject to the terms and conditions of the sales agreement, Cowen has agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell on our behalf all of the shares of common stock requested to be sold by us. We may instruct Cowen not to sell common stock if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us in any such instruction. We or Cowen may suspend the offering of the common stock being made through Cowen under the sales agreement upon proper notice to the other party. We and Cowen each have the right, by giving written notice as specified in the sales agreement, to terminate the sales agreement in each party’s sole discretion at any time.

The sales agreement provides that Cowen will be entitled to aggregate compensation for its services equal to 3.0% of the gross sales price per share of all shares sold through Cowen under the sales agreement. We have no obligation to sell any shares under the sales agreement. We have agreed in the sales agreement to provide indemnification and contribution to Cowen against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In addition, we have agreed, under certain circumstances, to reimburse a portion of the expenses of Cowen in connection with the Offering up to a maximum of $50,000. The shares will be issued pursuant to our shelf registration statement on Form S–3 (File No. 333-169060).

Series D Preferred Stock and Warrant Financing

In November 2011, we entered into a Convertible Preferred Stock and Warrant Purchase Agreement, or Purchase Agreement, with Pillar Pharmaceuticals I L.P., or the purchaser, an investment partnership managed by one of our directors. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, we issued and sold to the purchaser, for an aggregate purchase price of $9.5 million, 1,124,260 shares of our Series D Preferred Stock convertible, subject to the limitation, into 5,621,300 shares of our common stock, and warrants to purchase 2,810,650 shares of our common stock. The net proceeds to us from the offering, excluding the proceeds of any future exercise of the warrants, were approximately $9.1 million.

The conversion price of the Series D Preferred Stock is subject to adjustment in the event that we issue at any time shares of common stock without consideration or for a consideration per share that is less than $1.46, subject to appropriate adjustment, provided that the Series D Preferred Stock conversion price may not be reduced to a price that is less than $1.46. No holder of the Series D Preferred Stock may convert its shares to the extent such conversion would result in the holder and its affiliates beneficially owning more than 19.99% of the common stock outstanding.

The holder of the Series D Preferred Stock is entitled to receive dividends payable quarterly in arrears at the rate of 7% per annum. Such dividends shall be paid in cash through December 31, 2014 and thereafter in cash or with shares of common stock, as determined by us in our sole discretion, except that we may not pay any dividends to a holder of Series D Preferred Stock in shares of common stock to the extent the issuance of such shares would result in the holder of Series D Preferred Stock and its affiliates beneficially owning more than 19.99% of the common stock outstanding or the combined voting power of our securities outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of such shares of common stock.

After November 4, 2013 and following written notice by us, we may redeem, for a cash payment equal to the $8.1375 original Series D Preferred Stock issue price per share plus any accrued or declared but unpaid dividends thereon, all or a portion of the Series D Preferred Stock if the closing price of our common stock for 20 or more trading days in a period of 30 consecutive trading days is greater than or equal to 200% of the Series D Preferred Stock conversion price. In addition, the holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock then outstanding are entitled to require us to purchase the shares of Series D Preferred Stock at a price equal to the original Series D Preferred Stock purchase price per share plus all accrued or declared but unpaid dividends thereon upon the occurrence of specified fundamental changes such as mergers, consolidations, business combinations, stock purchases or similar transactions resulting in a person or group unaffiliated with any holder of Series D Preferred Stock owning 66.67% or more our outstanding voting securities of the Company or successor entity.

The warrants have an exercise price of $1.6275 per common share, subject to adjustment therein, and may be exercised at the purchaser’s option at any time on or before November 4, 2016. The exercise price of the warrants is subject to adjustment in the event that we issue shares of common stock without consideration or for a price per share that is lower than $1.46, subject to adjustment, provided that the exercise price of the warrants may not be reduced below $1.46. The warrants provide that we will not effect any exercise of the warrants, and the warrants may not be exercised with respect to any portion of the warrants, to the extent that such exercise would result in the purchaser and its affiliates beneficially owning more than 19.99% of the number of shares of common stock outstanding or the combined voting power of our securities outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrant. After November 4, 2013, we may redeem the warrants for $0.01 per share of common stock issuable on exercise of the warrants following notice to the purchaser if the closing price of the common stock for 20 or more trading days in a period of 30 consecutive trading days is greater than or equal to $6.51, subject to adjustment.

Under the terms of the Purchase Agreement, we granted the purchaser participation rights in future financings and the purchaser agreed that for so long as the purchaser and its affiliates beneficially own more than 15% of our outstanding common stock, the purchaser and its affiliates will vote any shares held by them in excess of the number of shares equal to 15% of the outstanding common stock (including the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series D preferred stock) with respect to any matter put to a vote of the holders of common stock in the same manner and percentage as the holders of the common stock (other than the purchaser) vote on such matter. The purchaser has also agreed to be subject to a standstill provision that continues for so long as the purchaser and its affiliates beneficially own more than 15% of the outstanding common stock. In connection with the Purchase Agreement, we also filed a registration statement registering the resale of the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series D preferred stock and the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants.

The net proceeds to us from the offering, excluding the proceeds of any future exercise of the warrants, were approximately $9.1 million.

Under the terms of our collaboration with Merck KGaA, which was terminated in November 2011, we received in February 2008 a $40.0 million upfront license fee in Euros of which we received $39.7 million due to foreign currency exchange rates and approximately $12.1 million in milestone payments and we have been reimbursed $4.5 million for expenses related to the development of IMO-2055.

Under the terms of our collaboration with Merck, Merck paid us a $20.0 million license fee in December 2006 and purchased 1,818,182 shares of our common stock for a price of $5.50 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $10.0 million. Since entering this agreement, we have also received $1.0 million in milestone payments and $3.4 million in research and development payments.

Cash Flows

Three Months Ended March 31, 2012

As of March 31, 2012, we had approximately $18,689,000 in cash and cash equivalents, a net decrease of approximately $5,882,000 from December 31, 2011. Net cash used in operating activities totaled $5,883,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2012, reflecting our $6,886,000 net loss for the three months ended March, 31, 2012, as adjusted for non-cash expenses, including the increase in the warrant liability, stock-based compensation, depreciation expense and amortization. It also reflects changes in our prepaid expenses and accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities. The net cash provided by financing activities totaled $1,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2012 representing the proceeds received from employee stock purchases under our employee stock purchase plan. We had no cash provided by investing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2012.

Three Months Ended March 31, 2011

Net cash used in operating activities totaled $6,260,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2011. The $6,260,000 reflects our $6,845,000 net loss for the period, as adjusted for non-cash expenses, including stock-based compensation, depreciation and amortization. It also reflects changes in our accounts receivable, prepaid expenses and accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities.

The net cash provided by investing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2011 of $10,342,000 reflects the maturity of $11,385,000 in available-for-sale securities offset by the purchase of approximately $1,025,000 of securities and $18,000 of laboratory equipment and leasehold improvements during the period.

The $19,000 net cash provided by financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2011 reflects the proceeds of $23,000 received from employee stock purchases, offset, in part, by payments on our capital leases.

Funding Requirements

We have incurred operating losses in all fiscal years except 2002, 2008 and 2009, and we had an accumulated deficit of $382,304,000 at March 31, 2012. We expect to incur substantial operating losses in future periods. These losses, among other things, have had and will continue to have an adverse effect on our stockholders’ equity, total assets and working capital.

We have received no revenues from the sale of drugs. To date, almost all of our revenues have been from collaboration and license agreements. We have devoted substantially all of our efforts to research and development, including clinical trials, and we have not completed development of any drugs. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing drugs, we are unable to predict the extent of any future losses, whether or when any of our products will become commercially available or when we will become profitable, if at all.

We do not expect to generate significant additional funds internally until we successfully complete development and obtain marketing approval for products, either alone or in collaboration with third parties, which we expect will take a number of years. In addition, we have no committed external sources of funds.

We had cash and cash equivalents of $18,689,000 at March 31, 2012. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our operations at least into the first quarter of 2013 based on our current operating plan, including the conduct of our ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of IMO-3100 in psoriasis that we initiated in April 2012 and the planned submission of an IND for IMO-8400, which we expect to occur in the fourth quarter of 2012. We will need to raise additional funds in order to operate our business beyond such time.

We will require substantial funds to conduct research and development, including preclinical testing and clinical trials of our drug candidates beyond the first quarter of 2013. We expect to seek additional funding through collaborations, the sale or license of assets or financings of equity or debt securities. We believe that the key factors that will affect our ability to obtain additional funding are:

•

the results of our clinical and preclinical development programs;

•

developments relating to our existing strategic collaboration with Merck;

•

the cost, timing and outcome of regulatory reviews;

•

competitive and potentially competitive products and technologies and investors’ receptivity to our drug candidates and the technology underlying them in light of competitive products and technologies;

•

the receptivity of the capital markets to financings by biotechnology companies generally and companies with drug candidates and technologies such as ours specifically; and

•

our ability to enter into new strategic collaborations with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and the success of such collaborations.

In addition, increases in expenses or delays in clinical development may adversely impact our cash position and require additional funds or further cost reductions. Additional financing may not be available to us when we need it or may not be available to us on favorable terms. We could be required to seek funds through collaborative alliances or others that may require us to relinquish rights to some of our technologies, drug candidates or drugs that we would otherwise pursue on our own. In addition, if we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our then existing stockholders will experience dilution. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends, and are likely to include rights that are senior to the holders of our common stock. Any additional debt financing or equity that we raise may contain terms, such as liquidation and other preferences, or liens or other restrictions on our assets, which are not favorable

to us or our stockholders. The terms of any financing may adversely affect the holdings or the rights of existing stockholders. If we are unable to obtain adequate funding on a timely basis or at all, we may be required to significantly curtail one or more of our discovery or development programs and possibly relinquish rights to portions of our technology or products.

Contractual Obligations

During the three months ended March 31, 2012, there were no material changes outside the ordinary course of our business to our contractual obligations as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.

ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

Foreign currency exchange gains and losses may result from amounts to be paid under our Merck KGaA collaboration and termination agreements and payments under our clinical trial agreements that are denominated in Euros. As of March 31, 2012, we had net accrued obligations of €1.8 million, or $2.4 million. All other assets and liabilities are in U.S. dollars, which is our functional currency.

We maintain investments in accordance with our investment policy. The primary objectives of our investment activities are to preserve principal, maintain proper liquidity to meet operating needs and maximize yields. Although our investments are subject to credit risk, our investment policy specifies credit quality standards for our investments and limits the amount of credit exposure from any single issue, issuer or type of investment. We regularly review our investment holdings in light of the then current economic environment. We do not own auction rate securities or derivative financial investment instruments in our investment portfolio. At March 31, 2012, all of our invested funds were invested in a money market fund classified in cash and cash equivalents on the accompanying balance sheet.

Based on a hypothetical ten percent adverse movement in interest rates, the potential losses in future earnings, fair value of risk sensitive financial instruments, and cash flows are immaterial, although the actual effects may differ materially from the hypothetical analysis.

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act) as of March 31, 2012. In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and our management necessarily applied its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Based on this evaluation, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that as of March 31, 2012, our disclosure controls and procedures were (1) designed to ensure that material information relating to us is made known to our chief executive officer and chief financial officer by others, particularly during the period in which this report was prepared, and (2) effective, in that they provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.

(b) Changes in Internal Controls. No change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act) occurred during the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2012 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

PART II — OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1A.

RISK FACTORS.

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below in addition to the other information included or incorporated by reference in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q before purchasing our common stock. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer, possibly materially. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could fall, and you may lose all or part of the money you paid to buy our common stock.

Risks Relating to Our Financial Results and Need for Financing

We have incurred substantial losses and expect to continue to incur losses. We will not be successful unless we reverse this trend.

We have incurred losses in every year since our inception, except for 2002, 2008, and 2009 when our recognition of revenues under license and collaboration agreements resulted in our reporting net income for those years. As of March 31, 2012, we had an accumulated deficit of $382.3 million. Since January 1, 2001, we have primarily been involved in the development of our TLR pipeline. From January 1, 2001 through March 31, 2012, we incurred losses of $122.1 million. We incurred losses of $260.2 million prior to December 31, 2000 during which time we were primarily involved in the development of non-TLR targeted antisense technology. These losses, among other things, have had and will continue to have an adverse effect on our stockholders’ equity, total assets, and working capital.

We have never had any products of our own available for commercial sale and have received no revenues from the sale of drugs. To date, almost all of our revenues have been from collaborative and license agreements. We have devoted substantially all of our efforts to research and development, including clinical trials, and we have not completed development of any drug candidates. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing drugs, we are unable to predict the extent of any future losses, whether or when any of our drug candidates will become commercially available, or when we will become profitable, if at all. We expect to incur substantial operating losses in future periods.

We will need additional financing, which may be difficult to obtain. Our failure to obtain necessary financing or doing so on unattractive terms could adversely affect our research and development programs and other operations.

We will require substantial funds to conduct research and development, including preclinical testing and clinical trials of our drug candidates. We will also require substantial funds to conduct regulatory activities and to establish commercial manufacturing, marketing, and sales capabilities. We had cash and cash equivalents of $18.7 million at March 31, 2012. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our operations at least into the first quarter of 2013 based on our current operating plan. We will need to raise additional funds in order to operate our business beyond such time. If we proceed with the clinical development of IMO-3100 beyond the ongoing Phase 2 trial, or IMO-8400 beyond the planned IND submission, or of any of our other compounds, we expect that the period of time that our current resources would be able to fund our operations could be significantly reduced.

We expect to seek additional funding through collaborations, the sale or license of assets or financings of equity or debt securities. We believe that the key factors that will affect our ability to obtain additional funding are:

•

the results of our clinical and preclinical development programs, including the results of the ongoing Phase 2 trial of IMO-3100, the recently announced results of the Phase 2 trial of IMO-2055 and the results of IND-enabling studies of IMO-8400;

•

developments related to our existing strategic collaboration with Merck;

•

the cost, timing, and outcome of regulatory reviews;

•

the receptivity of the capital markets to financings by biotechnology companies generally and companies with drug candidates and technologies such as ours specifically; and

•

our ability to enter into additional strategic collaborations with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and the success of such collaborations.

Additional financing may not be available to us when we need it or may not be available to us on favorable terms. We could be required to seek funds through collaborative alliances or through other means that may require us to relinquish rights to some of our technologies, drug candidates or drugs that we would otherwise pursue on our own. In addition, if we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our then existing stockholders will experience dilution. The terms of any financing may adversely affect the holdings or the rights of existing stockholders. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends, and are likely to include rights that are senior to the holders of our common stock. Any additional debt financing or equity that we raise may contain terms, such as liquidation and other preferences, or liens or other restrictions on our assets, which are not favorable to us or our stockholders. If we are unable to obtain adequate funding on a timely basis or at all, we may be required to terminate, modify or delay preclinical or clinical trials of one or more of our drug candidates, fail to establish or delay the establishment of manufacturing, sale or marketing capabilities, curtail research and development programs for new drug candidates and/or possibly relinquish rights to portions of our technology, drug candidates and/or products. For example, we significantly curtailed expenditures on our research and development programs during 1999 and 2000 because we did not have sufficient funds available to advance these programs at planned levels.

Risks Relating to Our Business, Strategy and Industry

We are depending heavily on the development of IMO-3100 and IMO-8400, and on our collaborative alliance with Merck. If we or our collaborator decides to terminate the development of any of our drug candidates, are unable to successfully develop and commercialize any of our drug candidates, or experience significant delays in doing so, our business may be materially harmed.

We have invested a significant portion of our time and financial resources in the development of our clinical stage lead drug candidates, IMO-3100 and IMO-2055, and our preclinical lead drug candidate IMO-8400. We anticipate that our ability to generate product revenues will depend heavily on the successful development and commercialization of IMO-3100, IMO-8400, and the drug candidates being developed under our collaboration with Merck. Our efforts, and the efforts of Merck, to develop and commercialize these compounds are at an early stage and are subject to many challenges. We have experienced setbacks with respect to our programs for IMO-3100, IMO-2125 and IMO-2055, including:

•

During the fourth quarter of 2010, we commenced additional nonclinical studies of IMO-3100 in light of some reversible immune responses that were observed in the 13-week nonclinical toxicology studies and that were inconsistent with observations made in our other nonclinical studies of IMO-3100. In June 2011, we submitted a Phase 2 protocol to the FDA to conduct a 12-week clinical trial of IMO-3100 in patients with psoriasis. In July 2011, the FDA placed a clinical hold on the protocol that we had submitted.

•

In April 2011, we chose to delay initiation of our planned 12-week Phase 2 randomized clinical trial of IMO-2125 plus ribavirin in treatment-naïve, genotype 1 HCV patients based on preliminary observations in an ongoing 26-week chronic nonclinical toxicology study of IMO-2125 in rodents. We subsequently completed a 39-week chronic nonclinical toxicology study of IMO-2125 in non-human primates in which there were no similar observations. During the third quarter of 2011, we re-assessed and prioritized our drug development programs, and determined to discontinue further investment of internal resources on the development of IMO-2125 for the treatment of HCV.

•

In July 2011, Merck KGaA informed us that, based on increased incidence of neutropenia and electrolyte imbalances reported in its Phase 1 trial of IMO-2055 in combination with cisplatin/5-FU and cetuximab in patients with first-line SCCHN and subsequent re-evaluation of its clinical development program, Merck KGaA had determined that it would not conduct further clinical development of IMO-2055. In November 2011, we and Merck KGaA entered into a termination agreement terminating our collaboration and we reacquired the rights to IMO-2055 for the treatment of cancer. In May 2012, we announced that in the Phase 2 trial of IMO-2055 in combination with cetuximab in patients with second-line SCCHN, the combination of IMO-2055 and cetuximab did not meet the primary endpoint of the trial.

In October 2011, we submitted to FDA a new Phase 2 protocol to evaluate IMO-3100 in adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, over a four-week treatment period. In December 2011, the FDA removed the clinical hold. We subsequently initiated the four-week Phase 2 clinical trial in the second quarter of 2012. The outcome of this trial could negatively impact our ability or willingness to proceed with the further development and commercialization of IMO-3100, or our ability to license such compound to a third party. Moreover, with respect to IMO-3100, we cannot be certain that the FDA will allow us to conduct further clinical trials of IMO-3100 for treatment periods of more than four weeks or at all without additional clinical or preclinical data.

We intend to seek to enter into collaborations with pharmaceutical companies to advance the use of IMO-2055 in the treatment of cancer. The results of the Phase 2 trial could negatively impact our ability to license such compound to a third party.

Our ability to successfully develop and commercialize these drug candidates, or other potential candidates, will depend on our ability to overcome these recent challenges and on several factors, including the following:

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the drug candidates demonstrating an acceptable safety profile in nonclinical toxicology studies and during clinical trials;

•

timely enrollment in clinical trials of IMO-3100 and other drug candidates, which may be slower than anticipated, potentially resulting in significant delays;

•

satisfying conditions imposed on us and/or our collaborators by the FDA or equivalent foreign regulatory authorities regarding the scope or design of clinical trials;

•

the ability to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA, or equivalent foreign regulatory authorities, the safety and efficacy of the drug candidates through current and future clinical trials;

•

timely receipt of necessary marketing approvals from the FDA and equivalent foreign regulatory authorities;

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the ability to combine our drug candidates and the drug candidates being developed by Merck and any other collaborators safely and successfully with other therapeutic agents;

•

achieving and maintaining compliance with all regulatory requirements applicable to the products;

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establishment of commercial manufacturing arrangements with third-party manufacturers;

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the successful commercial launch of the drug candidates, assuming FDA approval is obtained, whether alone or in combination with other products;

•

acceptance of the products as safe and effective by patients, the medical community, and third-party payors;

•

competition from other companies and their therapies;

•

changes in treatment regimes;

•

successful protection of our intellectual property rights from competing products in the United States and abroad; and

•

a continued acceptable safety and efficacy profile of the drug candidates following marketing approval.

If our clinical trials are unsuccessful, or if they are delayed or terminated, we may not be able to develop and commercialize our products.

In order to obtain regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of our products, we are required to complete extensive clinical trials in humans to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our drug candidates. Clinical trials are lengthy, complex, and expensive processes with uncertain results. We may not be able to complete any clinical trial of a potential product within any specified time period. Moreover, clinical trials may not show our potential products to be both safe and efficacious. The FDA or other equivalent foreign regulatory agencies may not allow us to complete these trials or commence and complete any other clinical trials. For example, in July 2011, the FDA placed a clinical hold on a protocol we had submitted for a proposed Phase 2 clinical trial of IMO-3100 in patients with psoriasis.

The results from preclinical testing of a drug candidate that is under development may not be predictive of results that will be obtained in human clinical trials. In addition, the results of early human clinical trials may not be predictive of results that will be obtained in larger scale, advanced stage clinical trials. Furthermore, interim results of a clinical trial do not necessarily predict final results, and failure of any of our clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. Companies in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, including companies with greater experience in preclinical testing and clinical trials than we have, have suffered significant setbacks in clinical trials, even after demonstrating promising results in earlier trials. Moreover, effects seen in nonclinical studies, even if not observed in clinical trials, may result in limitations or restrictions on clinical trials. Numerous unforeseen events may occur during, or as a result of, preclinical testing, nonclinical testing or the clinical trial process that could delay or inhibit the ability to receive regulatory approval or to commercialize drug products.

In addition to the setbacks that we have experienced with respect to the clinical development of our TLR-targeted drug candidates, other companies developing drugs targeted to TLRs have experienced setbacks in clinical trials. For example in 2007, Coley Pharmaceutical Group, which since has been acquired by Pfizer, Inc., discontinued four clinical trials for PF-3512676, its investigational TLR9 agonist compound, in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy in cancer, and suspended its development of a TLR9 agonist, Actilon^®, for HCV infection. In July 2007, Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its partner Novartis International Pharmaceutical, Ltd. (Novartis) announced that they had decided to discontinue the development of ANA975, the investigational TLR7 agonist compound for HCV infection. Dynavax Technologies Corporation announced in May 2008 discontinuation of the clinical development program for TOLAMBA^®, which comprises a TLR9 agonist covalently attached to a ragweed antigen. These setbacks with respect to TLR-targeted drug candidates may result in enhanced scrutiny by regulators or IRBs of clinical trials of TLR-targeted drug candidates, including our TLR-targeted drug candidates, which could result in regulators or IRBs prohibiting the commencement of clinical trials, requiring additional nonclinical studies as a precondition to commencing clinical trials or imposing restrictions on the design or scope of clinical trials that could slow enrollment of trials, increase the costs of trials or limit the significance of the results of trials. Such setbacks could also adversely impact the desire of investigators to enroll patients in, and the desire of patients to enroll in, clinical trials of TLR-targeted drug candidates.

Other events that could delay or inhibit conduct of our clinical trials include:

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regulators or IRBs may not authorize us to commence a clinical trial or conduct a clinical trial at a prospective trial site;

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nonclinical or clinical data may not be readily interpreted, which may lead to delays and/or misinterpretation;

•

our nonclinical tests, including toxicology studies, or clinical trials may produce negative or inconclusive results, and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional nonclinical testing or clinical trials or we may abandon projects that we expect may not be promising;

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the rate of enrollment or retention of patients in our clinical trials may be lower than we expect;

•

we might have to suspend or terminate our clinical trials if the participating subjects experience serious adverse events or undesirable side effects or are exposed to unacceptable health risks;

•

regulators or IRBs may hold, suspend or terminate clinical research for various reasons, including noncompliance with regulatory requirements, issues identified through inspections of manufacturing or clinical trial operations or clinical trial sites, or if, in their opinion, the participating subjects are being exposed to unacceptable health risks;

•

regulators may hold or suspend our clinical trials while collecting supplemental information on, or clarification of, our clinical trials or other clinical trials, including trials conducted in other countries or trials conducted by other companies;

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we, along with our collaborators and subcontractors, may not employ, in any capacity, persons who have been debarred under the FDA’s Application Integrity Policy, or similar policy under foreign regulatory authorities. Employment of such debarred persons, even if inadvertent, may result in delays in the FDA’s or foreign equivalent’s review or approval of our products, or the rejection of data developed with the involvement of such person(s);

•

the cost of our clinical trials may be greater than we currently anticipate; and

•

our products may not cause the desired effects or may cause undesirable side effects or our products may have other unexpected characteristics.

The rate of completion of clinical trials is dependent in part upon the rate of enrollment of patients. For example, in our Phase 1 clinical trial of IMO-2125 in patients with chronic HCV infection who had not responded to the current standard of care therapy, completion of each cohort took longer than anticipated due to enrollment procedures. Patient accrual is a function of many factors, including:

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the size of the patient population;

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the proximity of patients to clinical sites;

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the eligibility criteria for the study;

•

the nature of the study, including the pattern of patient enrollment;

•

the existence of competitive clinical trials; and

•

the availability of alternative treatments.

We do not know whether clinical trials will begin as planned, will need to be restructured or will be completed on schedule, if at all. Significant clinical trial delays also could allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do and impair our ability to commercialize our products.

Delays in commencing clinical trials of potential products could increase our costs, delay any potential revenues, and reduce the probability that a potential product will receive regulatory approval.

Our drug candidates and our collaborators’ drug candidates will require preclinical and other nonclinical testing and extensive clinical trials prior to submission of any regulatory application for commercial sales. In conducting clinical trials, we cannot be certain that any planned clinical trial will begin on time, if at all. Delays in commencing clinical trials of potential products could increase our product development costs, delay any potential revenues, and reduce the probability that a potential product will receive regulatory approval.

Commencing clinical trials may be delayed for a number of reasons, including delays in:

•

manufacturing sufficient quantities of drug candidate that satisfy the required quality standards for use in clinical trials;

•

demonstrating sufficient safety to obtain regulatory approval for conducting a clinical trial;

•

reaching an agreement with any collaborators on all aspects of the clinical trial;

•

reaching agreement with contract research organizations, if any, and clinical trial sites on all aspects of the clinical trial;

•

resolving any objections from the FDA or any regulatory authority on an IND application or proposed clinical trial design;

•

obtaining IRB approval for conducting a clinical trial at a prospective site; and

•

enrolling patients in order to commence the clinical trial.

The technologies on which we rely are unproven and may not result in any approved and marketable products.

Our technologies or therapeutic approaches are relatively new and unproven. We have focused our efforts on the research and development of RNA- and DNA-based compounds targeted to TLRs and on GSOs. Neither we nor any other company have obtained regulatory approval to market such compounds as therapeutic drugs, and no such products currently are being marketed. It is unknown whether the results of preclinical studies with TLR-targeted compounds will be indicative of results that may be obtained in clinical trials, and results we have obtained in the initial small-scale clinical trials we have conducted to date may not be predictive of results in subsequent large-scale clinical trials. Further, the chemical and pharmacological properties of RNA- and DNA-based compounds targeted to TLRs or of GSOs may not be fully recognized in preclinical studies and small-scale clinical trials, and such compounds may interact with human biological systems in unforeseen, ineffective or harmful ways that we have not yet identified.

As a result of these factors, we may never succeed in obtaining regulatory approval to market any product. Furthermore, the commercial success of any of our products for which we may obtain marketing approval from the FDA or other regulatory authorities will depend upon their acceptance by patients, the medical community, and third-party payors as

clinically useful, safe, and cost-effective. In addition, if products being developed by our competitors have negative clinical trial results or otherwise are viewed negatively, the perception of our technologies and market acceptance of our products could be impacted negatively.

Our recent setbacks with respect to our TLR-targeted compounds, together with the setbacks experienced by other companies developing TLR-targeted compounds, may result in a negative perception of our technology and our TLR-targeted compounds, impact our ability to obtain marketing approval of these drug candidates and adversely affect acceptance of our technology and our TLR-targeted compounds by patients, the medical community and third-party payors.

Our efforts to educate the medical community on our potentially unique approaches may require greater resources than would be typically required for products based on conventional technologies or therapeutic approaches. The safety, efficacy, convenience, and cost-effectiveness of our products as compared to competitive products will also affect market acceptance.

We face substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing drugs before or more successfully than us.

We are developing our TLR-targeted drug candidates for use in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancer, and as vaccine adjuvants. We are also advancing our gene silencing oligonucleotide, or GSO, technology for potential application as research reagents and as therapeutic agents. For all of the disease areas in which we are developing potential therapies, there are many other companies, public and private, that are actively engaged in discovering, developing, and commercializing products and technologies that may compete with our technologies and drug candidates and technology, including TLR targeted compounds as well as non-TLR targeted therapies.

Our principal competitors developing TLR-targeted compounds for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases include Dynavax Technologies Corporation, with its collaborator, GlaxoSmithKline plc., and for cancer treatment include Pfizer, Inc., and VentiRx Pharmaceuticals. Merck’s vaccines using our TLR7, 8 or 9 agonists as adjuvants may compete with vaccines using TLR agonists as adjuvants being developed or marketed by GlaxoSmithKline plc, Novartis, Dynavax Technologies Corporation, VaxInnate, Inc., Intercell AG, Cytos Biotechnology AG, and Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.

Some of these potentially competitive products have been in development or commercialized for years, in some cases by large, well established pharmaceutical companies. Many of the marketed products have been accepted by the medical community, patients, and third-party payors. Our ability to compete may be affected by the previous adoption of such products by the medical community, patients, and third-party payors. Additionally, in some instances, insurers and other third-party payors seek to encourage the use of generic products, which makes branded products, such as our drug candidates, potentially less attractive, from a cost perspective, to buyers.

We recognize that other companies, including large pharmaceutical companies, may be developing or have plans to develop products and technologies that may compete with ours. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technical, and human resources than we have. In addition, many of our competitors have significantly greater experience than we have in undertaking preclinical studies and human clinical trials of new pharmaceutical products, obtaining FDA and other regulatory approvals of products for use in health care and manufacturing, and marketing and selling approved products. Our competitors may discover, develop or commercialize products or other novel technologies that are more effective, safer or less costly than any that we are developing. Our competitors may also obtain FDA or other regulatory approval for their products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours.

We anticipate that the competition with our products and technologies will be based on a number of factors including product efficacy, safety, availability, and price. The timing of market introduction of our products and competitive products will also affect competition among products. We expect the relative speed with which we can develop products, complete the clinical trials, and approval processes and supply commercial quantities of the products to the market to be important competitive factors. Our competitive position will also depend upon our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, to obtain patent protection or otherwise develop proprietary products or processes, and protect our intellectual property, and to secure sufficient capital resources for the period between technological conception and commercial sales.

Competition for technical and management personnel is intense in our industry, and we may not be able to sustain our operations or grow if we are unable to attract and retain key personnel.

Our success is highly dependent on the retention of principal members of our technical and management staff, including Dr. Sudhir Agrawal. Dr. Agrawal serves as our Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Agrawal has made significant contributions to the field of oligonucleotide-based drug candidates, and has led the discovery and development of our compounds targeted to TLRs. He is named as an inventor on over 400 patents and patent applications in countries around the world. Dr. Agrawal provides us with leadership for our management team and research and development activities. The loss of Dr. Agrawal’s services would be detrimental to our ongoing scientific progress and the execution of our business plan.

We are a party to an employment agreement with Dr. Agrawal that expires on October 19, 2014, but automatically extends annually for an additional year. This agreement may be terminated by us or Dr. Agrawal for any reason or no reason at any time upon notice to the other party. We do not carry key man life insurance for Dr. Agrawal.

Furthermore, our future growth will require hiring a number of qualified technical and management personnel. Accordingly, recruiting and retaining such personnel in the future will be critical to our success. There is intense competition from other companies and research and academic institutions for qualified personnel in the areas of our activities. If we are not able to continue to attract and retain, on acceptable terms, the qualified personnel necessary for the continued development of our business, we may not be able to sustain our operations or growth.

Regulatory Risks

We may not be able to obtain marketing approval for products resulting from our development efforts.

All of the drug candidates that we are developing, or may develop in the future, will require additional research and development, extensive preclinical studies, nonclinical testing, clinical trials, and regulatory approval prior to any commercial sales. This process is lengthy, often taking a number of years, is uncertain, and is expensive. Since our inception, we have conducted clinical trials of a number of compounds. Currently two of our compounds, IMO-3100 and IMO-2055, are in clinical development. The FDA and other regulatory authorities may not approve any of our potential products for any indication.

We may need to address a number of technological challenges in order to complete development of our products. Moreover, these products may not be effective in treating any disease or may prove to have undesirable or unintended side effects, unintended alteration of the immune system over time, toxicities or other characteristics that may preclude our obtaining regulatory approval or prevent or limit commercial use. If we do not obtain necessary regulatory approvals, our business will be adversely affected.

We are subject to comprehensive regulatory requirements, which are costly and time consuming to comply with; if we fail to comply with these requirements, we could be subject to adverse consequences and penalties.

The testing, manufacturing, labeling, advertising, promotion, export, and marketing of our products are subject to extensive regulation by governmental authorities in Europe, the United States, and elsewhere throughout the world.

In general, submission of materials requesting permission to conduct clinical trials may not result in authorization by the FDA or any equivalent foreign regulatory agency to commence clinical trials. Further, permission to continue ongoing trials may be withdrawn by the FDA or other regulatory agencies at any time after initiation, based on new information available after the initial authorization to commence clinical trials or for other reasons. In addition, submission of an application for marketing approval to the relevant regulatory agency following completion of clinical trials may not result in the regulatory agency approving the application if applicable regulatory criteria are not satisfied, and may result in the regulatory agency requiring additional testing or information.

Even if we obtain regulatory approval for any of our product candidates, we will be subject to ongoing FDA obligations and regulatory oversight. Any regulatory approval of a product may contain limitations on the approved indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or requirements for costly post-marketing testing and surveillance to monitor the safety or efficacy of the product. Any product for which we obtain marketing approval, along with the facilities at which the product is manufactured, any post-approval clinical data, and any advertising and promotional activities for the product will be subject to continual review and periodic inspections by the FDA and other regulatory agencies.

Both before and after approval is obtained, failure to comply with regulatory requirements, or discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, may result in:

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the regulatory agency’s delay in approving, or refusal to approve, an application for marketing of a product or a supplement to an approved application;

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restrictions on our products or the marketing or manufacturing of our products;

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withdrawal of our products from the market;

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warning letters;

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voluntary or mandatory product recalls;

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fines;

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suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals;

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product seizure or detention;

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refusal to permit the import or export of our products;

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injunctions or the imposition of civil penalties; and

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criminal penalties.

We have only limited experience in regulatory affairs and our products are based on new technologies; these factors may affect our ability or the time we require to obtain necessary regulatory approvals.

We have only limited experience in filing the applications necessary to obtain regulatory approvals. Moreover, the products that result from our research and development programs will likely be based on new technologies and new therapeutic approaches that have not been extensively tested in humans. The regulatory requirements governing these types of products may be more rigorous than for conventional drugs. As a result, we may experience a longer regulatory process in connection with obtaining regulatory approvals of any product that we develop.

Failure to obtain regulatory approval in jurisdictions outside the United States will prevent us from marketing our products abroad.

We intend to market our products, if approved, in markets outside the United States, which will require separate

regulatory approvals and compliance with numerous and varying regulatory requirements. The approval procedures vary among such markets and may involve requirements for additional testing, and the time required to obtain approval may differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. Approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions, and approval by one foreign regulatory authority does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other foreign countries or by the FDA. The foreign regulatory approval process may include all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. We may not obtain foreign regulatory approvals on a timely basis, if at all.

Risks Relating to Collaborators

If we are unable to establish additional collaborative alliances, our business may be materially harmed.

We seek to advance some of our products through collaborative alliances with pharmaceutical companies. Collaborators provide the necessary resources and drug development experience to advance our compounds in their programs. During the third quarter of 2011, we decided to advance our TLR-targeted programs in infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, hematologic oncology, and additional vaccine adjuvant applications only through partnerships with third parties. In the second quarter of 2012 we decided to advance IMO-2055 only through partnerships with third parties.

Upfront payments and milestone payments received from collaborations help to provide us with the financial resources for our internal research and development programs. Our internal programs are focused on developing TLR-targeted drug candidates for the potential treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancer. We are also advancing our GSO technology for potential application as research reagents and as therapeutic agents. We believe that additional resources will be required to advance compounds in all of these areas. If we do not reach agreements with additional collaborators in the future, we may not be able to obtain the expertise and resources necessary to achieve our business objectives, our ability to advance our compounds will be jeopardized and we may fail to meet our business objectives.

We may have difficulty establishing additional collaboration alliances, particularly with respect to our TLR-targeted drug candidates and technology. Potential partners may note that our TLR collaborations with Novartis and with Merck KGaA have been terminated. Potential partners may also be reluctant to establish collaborations with respect to IMO-2125, IMO-3100, IMO-2055, and our other TLR-targeted drug candidates, given our recent setbacks with respect to these drug candidates. We also face, and expect to continue to face, significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators.

Even if a potential partner were willing to enter into a collaborative alliance with respect to our TLR-targeted compounds or technology, the terms of such a collaborative alliance may not be on terms that are favorable to us. Moreover, collaborations are complex and time consuming to negotiate, document, and implement. We may not be successful in our efforts to establish and implement collaborations on a timely basis.

Our existing collaboration and any collaborations we enter into in the future may not be successful.

An important element of our business strategy includes entering into collaborative alliances with corporate collaborators, primarily large pharmaceutical companies, for the development, commercialization, marketing, and distribution of some of our drug candidates. In December 2007, we entered into an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Merck KGaA to research, develop, and commercialize products containing our TLR9 agonists for treatment of cancer, excluding cancer vaccines. In December 2006, we entered into an exclusive license and research collaboration with Merck to research, develop, and commercialize vaccine products containing our TLR7, 8, and 9 agonists in the fields of cancer, infectious diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Any collaboration that we enter into may not be successful. For instance, in July 2011, Merck KGaA informed us that it had determined not to conduct further clinical development of IMO-2055, and in November 2011, we entered into an agreement with Merck KGaA terminating our collaboration with them. The success of our collaborative alliances, if any, will depend heavily on the efforts and activities of our collaborators. Our existing collaboration and any potential future collaborations have risks, including the following:

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our collaborators may control the development of the drug candidates being developed with our technologies and compounds including the timing of development;

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our collaborators may control the public release of information regarding the developments, and we may not be able to make announcements or data presentations on a schedule favorable to us;

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disputes may arise in the future with respect to the ownership of rights to technology developed with our collaborators;

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disagreements with our collaborators could delay or terminate the research, development or commercialization of products, or result in litigation or arbitration;

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we may have difficulty enforcing the contracts if any of our collaborators fail to perform;

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our collaborators may terminate their collaborations with us, which could make it difficult for us to attract new collaborators or adversely affect the perception of us in the business or financial communities;

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our collaboration agreements are likely to be for fixed terms and subject to termination by our collaborators in the event of a material breach or lack of scientific progress by us;

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our collaborators may have the first right to maintain or defend our intellectual property rights and, although we would likely have the right to assume the maintenance and defense of our intellectual property rights if our collaborators do not, our ability to do so may be compromised by our collaborators’ acts or omissions;

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our collaborators may challenge our intellectual property rights or utilize our intellectual property rights in such a way as to invite litigation that could jeopardize or invalidate our intellectual property rights or expose us to potential liability;

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our collaborators may not comply with all applicable regulatory requirements, or may fail to report safety data in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements;

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our collaborators may change the focus of their development and commercialization efforts. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies historically have re-evaluated their priorities following mergers and consolidations, which have been common in recent years in these industries. For example, we have a strategic partnership with Merck, which merged with Schering-Plough, which has been involved with certain TLR-targeted research and development programs. Although the merger has not affected our partnership with Merck to date, management of the combined company could determine to reduce the efforts and resources that the combined company will apply to its strategic partnership with us or terminate the strategic partnership. The ability of our products to reach their potential could be limited if our collaborators decrease or fail to increase spending relating to such products;

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our collaborators may under fund or not commit sufficient resources to the testing, marketing, distribution or development of our products; and

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our collaborators may develop alternative products either on their own or in collaboration with others, or encounter conflicts of interest or changes in business strategy or other business issues, which could adversely affect their willingness or ability to fulfill their obligations to us.

Given these risks, it is possible that any collaborative alliance into which we enter may not be successful. Collaborations with pharmaceutical companies and other third parties often are terminated or allowed to expire by the other party. For example, effective as of February 2010, Novartis terminated the research collaboration and option agreement that we

entered into with it in May 2005, and in November 2011, we entered into an agreement with Merck KGaA terminating our collaboration with them. In addition, Merck may terminate its license and research collaboration agreement by giving us 90 days advance notice. The termination or expiration of our agreement with Merck or any other collaboration agreement that we enter into in the future may adversely affect us financially and could harm our business reputation.

Risks Relating to Intellectual Property

If we are unable to obtain patent protection for our discoveries, the value of our technology and products will be adversely affected.

Our patent positions, and those of other drug discovery companies, are generally uncertain and involve complex legal, scientific, and factual questions. Our ability to develop and commercialize drugs depends in significant part on our ability to:

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obtain patents;

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obtain licenses to the proprietary rights of others on commercially reasonable terms;

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operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others;

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prevent others from infringing on our proprietary rights; and

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protect our trade secrets.

We do not know whether any of our patent applications or those patent applications that we license will result in the issuance of any patents. Our issued patents and those that may be issued in the future, or those licensed to us, may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, and the rights granted thereunder may not provide us proprietary protection or competitive advantages against competitors with similar technology. Moreover, intellectual property laws may change and negatively impact our ability to obtain issued patents covering our technologies or to enforce any patents that issue. Because of the extensive time required for development, testing, and regulatory review of a potential product, it is possible that, before any of our products can be commercialized, any related patent may expire or remain in force for only a short period following commercialization, thus reducing any advantage provided by the patent.

Because patent applications in the United States and many foreign jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all, and because publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind actual discoveries, neither we nor our licensors can be certain that we or they were the first to make the inventions claimed in issued patents or pending patent applications, or that we or they were the first to file for protection of the inventions set forth in these patent applications.

As of March 31, 2012, we owned 74 U.S. patents and U.S. patent applications and 251 corresponding patents and patent applications throughout the rest of the world for our TLR-targeted immune modulation technologies. These patents and patent applications include novel chemical compositions of matter and methods of use of our IMO compounds, including IMO-3100, IMO-2055, and IMO-8400. With respect to IMO-3100, we have patent applications that cover the chemical composition of matter of IMO-3100 and methods of its use that, if issued, would expire at the earliest in 2026. With respect to IMO-2055, we have issued patents that cover the chemical composition of matter of IMO-2055 and methods of its use, including in combination with marketed cancer products, with the earliest composition claims expiring in 2023. With respect to IMO-8400, we have patent applications that cover the chemical composition of matter of IMO-8400 and methods of its use that, if issued, would expire at the earliest in 2031.

As of March 31, 2012, we owned four U.S. patent applications and three worldwide patent applications for our GSO compounds and methods of their use. Patents issuing from these patent applications, if any, would expire at the earliest in 2030.

In addition to our TLR-targeted and GSO patent portfolios, we are the owner or hold licenses of patents and patent applications related to antisense technology. As of March 31, 2012, our antisense patent portfolio included 97 U.S. patents and patent applications and 164 patents and patent applications throughout the rest of the world. These antisense patents and patent applications include novel compositions of matter, the use of these compositions for various genes, sequences and therapeutic targets, and oral and other routes of administration. Some of the patents and patent applications in our antisense portfolio were in-licensed. These in-licensed patents expire at various dates ranging from 2012 to 2022.

Third parties may own or control patents or patent applications and require us to seek licenses, which could increase our development and commercialization costs, or prevent us from developing or marketing products.

Although we have many issued patents and pending patent applications in the United States and other countries, we may not have rights under certain third party patents or patent applications related to our products. Third parties may own or control these patents and patent applications in the United States and abroad. In particular, we are aware of third party United States patents that contain broad claims related to the use of certain oligonucleotides for stimulating an immune response, although we do not believe that these claims are valid. In addition, there may be other patents and patent applications related to our products of which we are not aware. Therefore, in some cases, in order to develop, manufacture, sell or import some of our products, we or our collaborators may choose to seek, or be required to seek, licenses under third-party patents issued in the United States and abroad or under third party patents that might issue from United States and foreign patent applications. In such an event, we would be required to pay license fees or royalties or both to the licensor. If licenses are not available to us on acceptable terms, we or our collaborators may not be able to develop, manufacture, sell or import these products.

We may lose our rights to patents, patent applications or technologies of third parties if our licenses from these third parties are terminated. In such an event, we might not be able to develop or commercialize products covered by the licenses.

Currently, we have not in-licensed any patents or patent applications related to our TLR-targeted drug candidate programs or our GSO compounds and methods of their use. However, we are party to six royalty-bearing license agreements under which we have acquired rights to patents, patent applications, and technology of third parties in the field of antisense technology, which may be applicable to our TLR antisense. Under these licenses we are obligated to pay royalties on net sales by us of products or processes covered by a valid claim of a patent or patent application licensed to us. We also are required in some cases to pay a specified percentage of any sublicense income that we may receive. These licenses impose various commercialization, sublicensing, insurance, and other obligations on us.

Our failure to comply with these requirements could result in termination of the licenses. These licenses generally will otherwise remain in effect until the expiration of all valid claims of the patents covered by such licenses or upon earlier termination by the parties. The issued patents covered by these licenses expire at various dates ranging from 2012 to 2022. If one or more of these licenses is terminated, we may be delayed in our efforts, or be unable, to develop and market the products that are covered by the applicable license or licenses.

We may become involved in expensive patent litigation or other proceedings, which could result in our incurring substantial costs and expenses or substantial liability for damages or require us to stop our development and commercialization efforts.

There has been substantial litigation and other proceedings regarding patent and other intellectual property rights in the biotechnology industry. We may become a party to various types of patent litigation or other proceedings regarding intellectual property rights from time to time even under circumstances where we are not practicing and do not intend to practice any of the intellectual property involved in the proceedings. For instance, in 2002, 2003, and 2005, we became involved in interference proceedings declared by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for some of our antisense and ribozyme patents. All of these interferences have since been resolved. We are neither practicing nor intending to practice the intellectual property that is associated with any of these interference proceedings.

The cost to us of any patent litigation or other proceeding even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the cost of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their substantially greater financial resources. If any patent litigation or other proceeding is resolved against us, we or our collaborators may be enjoined from developing, manufacturing, selling or importing our drugs without a license from the other party and we may be held liable for significant damages. We may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially acceptable terms or at all.

Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete in the marketplace. Patent litigation and other proceedings may also absorb significant management time.

Risks Relating to Product Manufacturing, Marketing and Sales, and Reliance on Third Parties

Because we have limited manufacturing experience, and no manufacturing facilities or infrastructure, we are dependent on third-party manufacturers to manufacture drug candidates for us. If we cannot rely on third-party manufacturers, we will be required to incur significant costs and devote significant efforts to establish our own manufacturing facilities and capabilities.

We have limited manufacturing experience and no manufacturing facilities, infrastructure or clinical or commercial scale manufacturing capabilities. In order to continue to develop our drug candidates, apply for regulatory approvals, and ultimately commercialize products, we need to develop, contract for or otherwise arrange for the necessary manufacturing capabilities.

We currently rely upon third parties to produce material for nonclinical and clinical testing purposes and expect to continue to do so in the future. We also expect to rely upon third parties to produce materials that may be required for the commercial production of our products. Our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for the manufacture of our drug candidates may adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to develop drug candidates and commercialize any drug candidates on a timely and competitive basis. We currently do not have any long term supply contracts.

There are a limited number of manufacturers that operate under the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, regulations capable of manufacturing our drug candidates. As a result, we may have difficulty finding manufacturers for our products with adequate capacity for our needs. If we are unable to arrange for third-party manufacturing of our drug candidates on a timely basis, or to do so on commercially reasonable terms, we may not be able to complete development of our drug candidates or market them.

Reliance on third-party manufacturers entails risks to which we would not be subject if we manufactured drug candidates ourselves, including:

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reliance on the third party for regulatory compliance and quality assurance;

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the possibility of breach of the manufacturing agreement by the third party because of factors beyond our control;

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the possibility of termination or nonrenewal of the agreement by the third party, based on its own business priorities, at a time that is costly or inconvenient for us;

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the potential that third-party manufacturers will develop know-how owned by such third party in connection with the production of our drug candidates that becomes necessary for the manufacture of our drug candidates; and

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reliance upon third-party manufacturers to assist us in preventing inadvertent disclosure or theft of our proprietary knowledge.

Any contract manufacturers with which we enter into manufacturing arrangements will be subject to ongoing periodic, unannounced inspections by the FDA, or foreign equivalent, and corresponding state and foreign agencies or their designees to ensure compliance with cGMP requirements and other governmental regulations and corresponding foreign standards. For example, one of our contract manufacturers notified us that it had received a cGMP warning letter from the FDA in February 2011. Any failure by our third-party manufacturers to comply with such requirements, regulations or standards could lead to a delay in the conduct of our clinical trials, or a delay in, or failure to obtain, regulatory approval of any of our drug candidates. Such failure could also result in sanctions being imposed, including fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension or withdrawal of approvals, product seizures or recalls, imposition of operating restrictions, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, or criminal prosecution.

Additionally, contract manufacturers may not be able to manufacture our drug candidates at a cost or in quantities necessary to make them commercially viable. To date, our third-party manufacturers have met our manufacturing requirements, but we cannot be assured that they will continue to do so. Furthermore, changes in the manufacturing process or procedure, including a change in the location where the drug substance or drug product is manufactured or a change of a third-party manufacturer, may require prior FDA review and approval in accordance with the FDA’s cGMP and NDA/BLA regulations. Contract manufacturers may also be subject to comparable foreign requirements. This review may be costly and time-consuming and could delay or prevent the launch of a drug candidate. The FDA or similar foreign regulatory agencies at any time may also implement new standards, or change their interpretation and enforcement of existing standards for manufacture, packaging or testing of products. If we or our contract manufacturers are unable to comply, we or they may be subject to regulatory action, civil actions or penalties.

We have no experience selling, marketing or distributing products and no internal capability to do so.

If we receive regulatory approval to commence commercial sales of any of our drug candidates, we will face competition with respect to commercial sales, marketing, and distribution. These are areas in which we have no experience. To market any of our drug candidates directly, we would need to develop a marketing and sales force with technical expertise and with supporting distribution capability. In particular, we would need to recruit a large number of experienced marketing and sales personnel. Alternatively, we could engage a pharmaceutical or other healthcare company with an existing distribution system and direct sales force to assist us. However, to the extent we entered into such arrangements, we would be dependent on the efforts of third parties. If we are unable to establish sales and distribution capabilities, whether internally or in reliance on third parties, our business would suffer materially.

If third parties on whom we rely for clinical trials do not perform as contractually required or as we expect, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our products and our business may suffer.

We do not have the ability to independently conduct the clinical trials required to obtain regulatory approval for our drug candidates. We depend on independent clinical investigators, contract research organizations, and other third-party service providers in the conduct of the clinical trials of our drug candidates and expect to continue to do so. We contracted with contract research organizations to manage our Phase 1 clinical trials of IMO-2125 in patients with chronic HCV infection and our Phase 1 clinical trials of IMO-3100 in healthy subjects and expect to contract with such organizations for future clinical trials. We rely heavily on these parties for successful execution of our clinical trials, but do not control many aspects of their activities. We are responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan and protocols for the trial. Moreover, the FDA and foreign regulatory agencies require us to comply with certain standards, commonly referred to as good clinical practices, and applicable regulatory requirements, for conducting, recording, and reporting the results of clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity, and confidentiality of clinical trial participants are protected. Our reliance on third parties that we do not control does not relieve us of these responsibilities and requirements. Third parties may not complete activities on schedule, or at all, or may not conduct our clinical trials in accordance with regulatory requirements or our stated protocols. The failure of these third parties to carry out their obligations could delay or prevent the development, approval, and commercialization of our drug candidates. If we seek to conduct any of these activities ourselves in the future, we will need to recruit appropriately trained personnel and add to our infrastructure.

The commercial success of any drug candidates that we may develop will depend upon the degree of market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors, and others in the medical community.

Any products that we ultimately bring to the market, if they receive marketing approval, may not gain market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors or others in the medical community. If these products do not achieve an adequate level of acceptance, we may not generate significant product revenue and we may not become profitable. The degree of market acceptance of our drug candidates, if approved for commercial sale, will depend on a number of factors, including:

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the prevalence and severity of any side effects, including any limitations or warnings contained in the product’s approved labeling;

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the efficacy and potential advantages over alternative treatments;

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the ability to offer our drug candidates for sale at competitive prices;

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relative convenience and ease of administration;

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the willingness of the target patient population to try new therapies and of physicians to prescribe these therapies;

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the strength of marketing and distribution support and the timing of market introduction of competitive products; and

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publicity concerning our products or competing products and treatments.

Even if a potential product displays a favorable efficacy and safety profile, market acceptance of the product will not be known until after it is launched. Our efforts to educate patients, the medical community, and third-party payors on the benefits of our drug candidates may require significant resources and may never be successful. Such efforts to educate the marketplace may require more resources than are required by conventional technologies marketed by our competitors.

If we are unable to obtain adequate reimbursement from third-party payors for any products that we may develop or acceptable prices for those products, our revenues and prospects for profitability will suffer.

Most patients rely on Medicare, Medicaid, private health insurers, and other third-party payors to pay for their medical needs, including any drugs we may market. If third-party payors do not provide adequate coverage or reimbursement for any products that we may develop, our revenues and prospects for profitability will suffer. Congress enacted a limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. While the program established by this statute may increase demand for our products if we were to participate in this program, our prices will be negotiated with drug procurement organizations for Medicare beneficiaries and are likely to be lower than we might otherwise obtain. Non-Medicare third-party drug procurement organizations may also base the price they are willing to pay on the rate paid by drug procurement organizations for Medicare beneficiaries.

A primary trend in the United States healthcare industry is toward cost containment. In addition, in some foreign countries, particularly the countries of the European Union, the pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is subject to governmental control. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take six months or longer after the receipt of regulatory marketing approval for a product. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost effectiveness of our drug candidates or products to other available therapies. The conduct of such a clinical trial could be expensive and result in delays in commercialization of our products. These further clinical trials would require additional time, resources, and expenses. If reimbursement of our products is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, our prospects for generating revenue, if any, could be adversely affected and our business may suffer.

In March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act became law. These health care reform laws are intended to broaden access to health insurance; reduce or constrain the growth of health care spending, especially Medicare spending; enhance remedies against fraud and abuse; add new transparency requirements for health care and health insurance industries; impose new taxes and fees on certain sectors of the health industry; and impose additional health policy reforms. Among the new fees is an annual assessment on makers of branded pharmaceuticals and biologics, under which a company’s assessment is based primarily on its share of branded drug sales to federal health care programs. Such fees could affect our future profitability. Although it is too early to determine the effect of the new health care legislation on our future profitability and financial condition, the new law appears likely to continue the pressure on pharmaceutical pricing, especially under the Medicare program, and may also increase our regulatory burdens and operating costs.

Third-party payors are challenging the prices charged for medical products and services, and many third-party payors limit reimbursement for newly-approved health care products. These third-party payors may base their coverage and reimbursement on the coverage and reimbursement rate paid by carriers for Medicare beneficiaries. Furthermore, many such payors are investigating or implementing methods for reducing health care costs, such as the establishment of capitated or prospective payment systems. Cost containment pressures have led to an increased emphasis on the use of cost-effective products by health care providers. In particular, third-party payors may limit the indications for which they will reimburse patients who use any products that we may develop. Cost control initiatives could decrease the price we might establish for products that we or our current or future collaborators may develop or sell, which would result in lower product revenues or royalties payable to us.

We face a risk of product liability claims and may not be able to obtain insurance.

Our business exposes us to the risk of product liability claims that is inherent in the manufacturing, testing, and marketing of human therapeutic drugs. We face an inherent risk of product liability exposure related to the testing of our drug candidates in human clinical trials and will face an even greater risk if we commercially sell any products. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims and product recalls may result in:

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decreased demand for our drug candidates and products;

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damage to our reputation;

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regulatory investigations that could require costly recalls or product modifications;

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withdrawal of clinical trial participants;

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costs to defend related litigation;

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substantial monetary awards to clinical trial participants or patients, including awards that substantially exceed our product liability insurance, which we would then have to pay using other sources, if available, and would damage our ability to obtain liability insurance at reasonable costs, or at all, in the future;

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loss of revenue;

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the diversion of management’s attention away from managing our business; and

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the inability to commercialize any products that we may develop.

Although we have product liability and clinical trial liability insurance that we believe is adequate, this insurance is subject to deductibles and coverage limitations. We may not be able to obtain or maintain adequate protection against potential liabilities. If we are unable to obtain insurance at acceptable cost or otherwise protect against potential product liability claims, we will be exposed to significant liabilities, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial position. These liabilities could prevent or interfere with our commercialization efforts.

Risks Relating to an Investment in Our Common Stock

Our corporate governance structure, including provisions in our certificate of incorporation and by-laws and Delaware law, may prevent a change in control or management that stockholders may consider desirable.

Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and our certificate of incorporation and by-laws contain provisions that might enable our management to resist a takeover of our company or discourage a third party from attempting to take over our company. These provisions include:

•

a classified board of directors;

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limitations on the removal of directors;

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limitations on stockholder proposals at meetings of stockholders;

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the inability of stockholders to act by written consent or to call special meetings; and

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the ability of our board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred stock without stockholder approval.

In addition, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law imposes restrictions on our ability to engage in business combinations and other specified transactions with significant stockholders. These provisions could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of us or a change in our management that stockholders may consider favorable or beneficial. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors and take other corporate actions. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock.

Our stock price has been and may in the future be extremely volatile. In addition, because an active trading market for our common stock has not developed, our investors’ ability to trade our common stock may be limited. As a result, investors may lose all or a significant portion of their investment.

Our stock price has been volatile. During the period from January 1, 2010 to April 15, 2012, the closing sales price of our common stock ranged from a high of $6.94 per share to a low of $0.97 per share. The stock market has also experienced

significant price and volume fluctuations, particularly within the past three years, and the market prices of biotechnology companies in particular have been highly volatile, often for reasons that have been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. The market price for our common stock may be influenced by many factors, including:

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timing and results of nonclinical studies and clinical trials of our drug candidates or those of our competitors;

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the regulatory status of our drug candidates;

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failure of any of our drug candidates, if approved, to achieve commercial success;

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the success of competitive products or technologies;

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regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries;

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our success in entering into collaborative agreements;

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developments or disputes concerning patents or other proprietary rights;

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the departure of key personnel;

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variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us;

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our cash resources;

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the terms of any financing conducted by us;

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changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems;

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market conditions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors and issuance of new or changed securities analysts’ reports or recommendations; and

•

general economic, industry, and market conditions.

In addition, our common stock has historically been traded at low volume levels and may continue to trade at low volume levels. As a result, any large purchase or sale of our common stock could have a significant impact on the price of our common stock and it may be difficult for investors to sell our common stock in the market without depressing the market price for the common stock or at all.

As a result of the foregoing, investors may not be able to resell their shares at or above the price they paid for such shares. Investors in our common stock must be willing to bear the risk of fluctuations in the price of our common stock and the risk that the value of their investment in our stock could decline.

We must meet the NASDAQ Global Market continued listing requirements or we risk delisting, which could result in a decrease in our stock price and make it harder for us to sell securities in a financing and for our stockholders to trade our stock.

Our common stock is currently listed on the NASDAQ Global Market. In order to maintain our listing, we are required to meet specified financial requirements, including requirements that we maintain a minimum closing price of at least $1.00 per share for our common stock and that we maintain a minimum stockholders’ equity of $10,000,000 or a minimum aggregate market value for our common stock of $50,000,000.

As of March 31, 2012, our stockholders’ equity was less than $10,000,000 and as of May 3, 2012, the aggregate market value for our common stock was $32,336,000. As a result, we expect to receive a written notice from the Listing Qualifications Staff of the NASDAQ Stock Market that we are no longer in compliance with the requirements for continued listing. This notice would not result in the immediate delisting of our common stock from the NASDAQ Global Market, but instead would give us 45 calendar days from the date of the notice to submit a plan to regain compliance with one of these continued listing requirements. If the plan is accepted, NASDAQ may grant an extension of up to 180 calendar days from the date of the notice for us to provide evidence of compliance.

In addition, our common stock traded as low as $0.95 per share during the fourth quarter of 2011 and had a closing price of $1.17 per share on May 3, 2012. If we fail to maintain the $1.00 minimum closing price for 30 consecutive business days, we may also be at risk of delisting. Upon receipt of a deficiency notice from NASDAQ we have 180 days to attempt to regain compliance, such as through a reverse stock split. If we do not regain compliance during this initial period, we may be eligible for an additional 180 day compliance period. To qualify, we would be required to transfer to the NASDAQ Capital Market, meet the listing requirements for that market (with the exception of the minimum closing price requirement) and present a plan to regain compliance with the $1.00 minimum closing price requirement.

In either case, if it appears to the NASDAQ that we will not be able to cure the deficiency, or if we are otherwise not eligible, our common stock would be subject to delisting. While there is a right to appeal the NASDAQ’s determination to delist our common stock, there can be no assurance they would grant our request for continued listing.

There can be no assurance that we will meet the continued listing requirements for the NASDAQ Global Market, or that our common stock will not be delisted from the NASDAQ Global Market in the future. If our common stock is delisted from NASDAQ, it may be eligible to trade on the over-the-counter market, which may be a less liquid market, or on the pink sheets. In such case, our stockholders’ ability to trade, or obtain quotations of the market value of, shares of our common stock would be severely limited because of lower trading volumes and transaction delays. These factors could contribute to lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our securities. There can be no assurance that our common stock, if delisted from the NASDAQ Global Market, will be listed on a national securities exchange, a national quotation service, the OTC Bulletin Board or the pink sheets. Delisting from NASDAQ, or even the issuance of a notice of potential delisting, would also result in negative publicity, make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital, adversely affect the market liquidity of our common stock, reduce security analysts’ coverage of us and diminish investor, supplier and employee confidence.

ITEM 6. EXHIBITS.

The list of Exhibits filed as part of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q is set forth on the Exhibit Index immediately preceding such Exhibits and is incorporated herein by this reference.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


		IDERA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Date: May 9, 2012		/s/ Sudhir Agrawal
		Sudhir Agrawal
		Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

Date: May 9, 2012		/s/ Louis J. Arcudi, III
		Louis J. Arcudi, III
		Chief Financial Officer
		(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

Exhibit Index


Exhibit No.

31.1		Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

31.2		Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32.1		Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32.2		Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

101.INS*		XBRL Instance Document

101.SCH*		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema

101.CAL*		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.DEF*		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

101.LAB*		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document

101.PRE*		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

Pursuant to Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, the Interactive Data Files on Exhibit 101 hereto are deemed not filed or part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, are deemed not filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and otherwise are not subject to liability under those sections.