How did ISIS become a party to this litigation? I don’t know the details. In 1998 Isis began a collaboration with Merck on HCV: http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Isis_Pharmaceuticals_(ISIS)/Merck_Inc In 2002 Isis’s GeneTrove division did work for Merck (pardon the rhyme): http://ir.isispharm.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=222170&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1290295&highlight= Hob