MARLBOROUGH, Mass.,
Feb. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- RXi
Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: 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 has been granted a
patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for
the delivery of double stranded siRNAs (21 to 23 nucleotides in
length) across the blood-retina barrier (e.g. topical or systemic
delivery) for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration
or diabetic retinopathy. The patent, part of RXi's acquired OPKO
estate, is scheduled to expire in 2023.
Logo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130917/NE80755LOGO
"This patent, in combination with our issued sd-rxRNA® patents,
expands the scope of our intellectual property position in the area
of Ophthalmology," said Dr. Geert
Cauwenbergh, President and CEO of RXi Pharmaceuticals. He
added that, "Not only does this further contribute to the potential
commercial and business development opportunities in the future, it
is another step towards achieving our long term goals for the
acquired OPKO patent estate. Moreover, it further demonstrates our
firm commitment to the development of our core technology platform
as the key builder of our corporate value".
About RXi Pharmaceuticals Intellectual Property
Estate
RXi's intellectual property estate includes patents and patent
applications related to chemistries, sequences, configurations,
compounds, delivery technologies, and therapeutic targets. We
believe these patents and patent applications define broad coverage
for the development and commercialization of advanced RNAi
therapeutics. In particular, they relate to novel and proprietary
structural and chemical modifications patterns, used to introduce
"drug-like" properties to rxRNA® compounds. Fundamental IP
related to development of RXi's rxRNA compounds covers distinct
structures with duplex length shorter than 15 bases, or longer than
25 bases in the context of advanced and diverse chemical
modifications patterns. In 2013, RXi acquired the OPKO RNAi
intellectual property estate. The OPKO RNAi estate includes 12
patent families and provides broad patent filings for siRNA
compounds which target genes involved in angiogenesis, cancer,
immune disorders and inflammatory diseases. Methods for siRNA
delivery across the blood-brain and blood-retina barrier are also
covered for therapeutic and diagnostic use.
About RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) is a
biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and
commercializing innovative therapies based on its proprietary,
self-delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNA®) platform. Therapeutics that use
RNA interference, or "RNAi," have great promise because of
their ability to down-regulate the expression of specific genes
that may be over-expressed in disease conditions. 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, a self-delivering RNAi compound (sd-rxRNA®), entered into
human clinical trials in June 2012
and is currently being evaluated in Phase 2 clinical trials to
reduce the formation of dermal scars (fibrosis). RXI-109 is
designed to reduce the expression of connective tissue growth
factor (CTGF), a critical regulator of biological pathways involved
in fibrosis, including scar formation in the skin. 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.
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, planned and future development of RXi
Pharmaceuticals Corporation's products, technologies and
partnerships. Forward-looking statements about expectations and
development plans of RXi's products and partnerships involve
significant risks and uncertainties such as: the risk that we
may not be able to successfully develop our 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
products; risks that the development process for our product
candidates may be delayed, risks related to the development and
commercialization of products by our competitors, the risk related
to our ability to control the 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, and risks related to the actual usage or
realization of anticipated benefits of the sales of our common
stock pursuant to the purchase agreement with Lincoln Park Capital
Fund, LLC. 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.
Contact
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Tamara McGrillen
508-929-3646
tmcgrillen@rxipharma.com
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rxi-pharmaceuticals-strengthens-intellectual-property-portfolio-for-ocular-indications-300029489.html
SOURCE RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation