CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 479,891	$ 129,630
Short-term investments	1,479,098	893,085
Contracts receivable	14,732	62,955
Inventories	8,378	9,982
Other current assets	97,125	73,082
Total current assets	2,079,224	1,168,734
Property, plant and equipment, net	132,003	121,907
Patents, net	24,027	22,004
Deposits and other assets	12,659	10,129
Total assets	2,247,913	1,322,774
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	13,576	24,886
Accrued compensation	24,259	25,151
Accrued liabilities	50,786	66,618
Current portion of long-term obligations	14,472	1,621
Current portion of deferred contract revenue	157,145	125,336
Total current liabilities	260,238	243,612
Long-term deferred contract revenue	523,384	108,026
1 percent convertible senior notes	559,184	533,111
Long-term obligations, less current portion	5,138	12,974
Long-term mortgage debt	59,825	59,771
Total liabilities	1,407,769	957,494
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 300,000,000 shares authorized, 137,506,203 and 124,976,373 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively	138	125
Additional paid-in capital	2,030,313	1,553,681
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(32,532)	(31,759)
Accumulated deficit	(1,287,369)	(1,241,034)
Total Ionis stockholders' equity	710,550	281,013
Noncontrolling interest in Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.	129,594	84,267
Total stockholders' equity	840,144	365,280
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 2,247,913	$ 1,322,774