WESTBOROUGH, Mass.,
Jan. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/
-- RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (OTCQX: RXII), a
biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and
commercializing innovative therapies addressing major unmet medical
needs using RNA-targeted technologies, today announced that it
received the Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and
Trademark Office on its unique self-delivering RNAi compounds
(sd-rxRNA®), for the treatment of fibrosis. The patent covers the
use of sd-rxRNAs targeting CTGF, including RXI-109, for the
treatment of fibrotic disorders. The patent, once issued, will be
scheduled to expire in 2029.
"This notice of allowance from the USPTO is of high importance
for RXi's Intellectual Property position in the RNAi field, and
more specifically in the space of skin and organ fibrosis," said
Dr. Geert Cauwenbergh, President and
CEO of RXi Pharmaceuticals. He added that, "Our sd-rxRNA compound,
RXI-109 targeting CTGF, has already demonstrated excellent safety
results in our Phase 1 trials and has confirmed the mechanism of
action of this self-delivering RNAi in humans in a dose dependent
manner. This patent enhances our ability to broadly protect our
proprietary technology, including our anti-fibrotic compounds,
reinforcing the potential for future commercial and business
development opportunities."
About RXI-109
RXi Pharmaceuticals' first clinical program involves RXI‑109, a
self-delivering RNAi compound (sd‑rxRNA®) developed for the
reduction of dermal scarring. RXI‑109 is designed to reduce the
expression of CTGF, a critical regulator of biological pathways
involved in fibrosis, including scar formation in the skin. The
first clinical trials with RXI‑109 showed excellent safety and
tolerability with ascending single and multiple doses, as well as
dose dependent effects on the Connective Tissue Growth Factor
protein and on the mRNA that controls production of this
protein.
RXi's sd‑rxRNA oligonucleotides are designed for therapeutic use
and have drug-like properties, such as high potency, target
specificity, serum stability, reduced immune response activation,
and efficient cellular uptake. These hybrid oligonucleotide
molecules combine the beneficial properties of conventional RNAi
and antisense technologies. This allows sd‑rxRNAs to achieve
efficient cellular uptake and potent, long-lasting intracellular
activity.
About RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (OTCQX: RXII) is a biotechnology
company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing
innovative therapies based on its proprietary, self-delivering RNAi
platform. Therapeutics that use RNA interference, or "RNAi," have
great promise because of their ability to down-regulate, the
expression of a specific gene that may be over-expressed in a
disease condition. Building on the pioneering work of scientific
founder and Nobel Laureate Dr. Craig
Mello, a member of the RXi Scientific Advisory Board, RXi's
first RNAi product candidate, RXI‑109, targets connective tissue
growth factor (CTGF) to reduce dermal scarring (fibrosis), entered
into human clinical trials in June 2012. For more
information, please visit www.rxipharma.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements
about future expectations, including future expectations regarding
our NASDAQ listing, planned and future development of RXi
Pharmaceuticals Corporation's products and technologies.
Forward-looking statements about expectations and development plans
of RXi's products involve significant risks, and uncertainties:
risks that RXi may not be able to successfully develop RXI-109 and
our other product candidates, or that development of RNAi-based
therapeutics may be delayed or not proceed as planned, or that we
may not develop any RNAi-based product; risks that the development
process for our product candidates may be delayed, risks related to
development and commercialization of products by our competitors,
risks related to our ability to control timing and terms of
collaborations with third parties; the possibility that other
companies or organizations may assert patent rights preventing us
from developing our products; risks related to our ability to
successfully list our securities on a national securities exchange
and statements about other future expectations. Actual results may
differ from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements.
RXi does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to
reflect a change in its views, events or circumstances that occur
after the date of this release.
Contacts
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Tamara McGrillen, 508-929-3646
tmcgrillen@rxipharma.com
SOURCE RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation