MARLBOROUGH, Mass.,
March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- RXi
Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII), a clinical-stage RNAi
company developing innovative therapeutics in dermatology and
ophthalmology that address significant unmet medical needs,
announced today that it has received an Issue Notification from the
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a patent
covering methods for the treatment of compromised skin with
self-delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNAs®) compounds targeting connective
tissue growth factor (CTGF), including RXI-109, to prevent,
reduce or inhibit dermal scarring. U.S. Patent
#9,303,259, is scheduled to expire in 2029.
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"This issue notification from the USPTO further strengthens
RXi's Intellectual Property position in the area of dermal
scarring," said Dr. Geert
Cauwenbergh, President and CEO of RXi Pharmaceuticals. He
added that, "From our ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial, we have
already reported preliminary results indicating that the use of
RXI-109 after scar revision surgery had a visible, beneficial
effect on the suppression of hypertrophic scarring, at three months
following revision surgery. This patent enhances our ability
to broadly protect our proprietary technology, including our
anti-fibrotic compounds for the treatment of dermal scarring,
reinforcing the potential for future commercial and business
development opportunities."
About RXI-109: Proprietary Self-delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNA®)
Compound with Built-In Drug-Like Properties
Building on the pioneering work of Dr. Craig Mello, Nobel Laureate and RXi's Scientific
Advisory Board Chairman, scientists at RXi developed novel sd-rxRNA
compounds where drug-like properties are built into the RNAi
compound itself. These proprietary compounds are novel RNAi
compounds with enhanced properties for therapeutic use
including: efficient spontaneous cellular uptake, stability,
reduced potential for immune stimulation, and potent, long-lasting
intracellular activity. All cell types tested (primary,
neuronal and non-adherent) internalize sd-rxRNA compounds uniformly
and efficiently, resulting in potent and long lasting
silencing. Efficient cellular uptake is observed both in
vitro and in vivo, as well as in tissues including skin,
retina, lung, spinal cord and liver.
RXI-109, an sd-rxRNA compound, silences connective tissue growth
factor (CTGF), which plays a key role in tissue regeneration and
repair. RXI-109 is currently in development to reduce or
inhibit scar formation in the skin and in the eye. A Phase
1/2 clinical study, RXI-109-1501, is underway to evaluate the
safety and clinical activity of RXI-109 to prevent the progression
of retinal scarring, a harmful component of numerous retinal
diseases. In addition, a Phase 2 clinical trial, RXI-109-1402, is
currently evaluating RXI-109 as a treatment to reduce the
recurrence of hypertrophic scars following scar revision
surgery. Over 100 subjects have been treated with RXI-109 by
intradermal injection in all trials to date. Multiple intradermal
injections were well tolerated at all dose levels. RXI-109
was shown to cause a dose-dependent silencing of CTGF messenger RNA
and protein levels in the treated areas of the skin compared to
placebo and preliminary results from Phase 2a studies indicate a
clinical effect on scar appearance.
About RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) is a
clinical-stage RNAi company developing innovative therapeutics in
dermatology and ophthalmology that address significant unmet
medical needs. Building on the pioneering work of RXi's
Scientific Advisory Board Chairman and Nobel Laureate Dr.
Craig Mello, our discovery and
clinical development programs are based on our proprietary RNAi
(sd-rxRNA) platform and Samcyprone™, a topical immunomodulator. Our
clinical development programs include RXI-109, an sd-rxRNA, for the
treatment of dermal and ocular scarring, and Samcyprone™ for the
treatment of such disorders as warts, alopecia areata,
non-malignant skin tumors and cutaneous metastases of
melanoma. RXi's robust pipeline, coupled with an extensive
patent portfolio, provides for multiple product and business
development opportunities across a broad spectrum of therapeutic
areas. We are committed to being a partner of choice for academia,
small companies, and large multinationals. We welcome ideas and
proposals for strategic alliances, including in- and out-licensing
opportunities, to advance and further develop strategic areas of
interest. Additional information may be found on the Company's
website, 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: our ability to successfully develop RXI-109, Samcyprone™ and
our other product candidates (collectively "our product
candidates"); the future success of our clinical trials with our
product candidates; the timing for the commencement and completion
of clinical trials; our ability to enter into strategic
partnerships and the future success of these strategic
partnerships; and our ability to deploy our sd-rxRNA® technology
through partnerships, as well as the prospects of these
partnerships to provide positive returns. Forward-looking
statements about expectations and development plans of RXi's
product candidates and partnerships involve significant risks and
uncertainties, including the following: risks that we may not be
able to successfully develop and commercialize our product
candidates; risks that product development and clinical studies may
be delayed, not proceed as planned and/or be subject to significant
cost over-runs; risks related to the development and
commercialization of products by competitors; risks related to our
ability to control the timing and terms of collaborations with
third parties; and risks that other companies or organizations may
assert patent rights preventing us from developing or
commercializing our product candidates. Additional risks are
detailed in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and
subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the caption "Risk
Factors." Readers are urged to review these risk factors and
to not act in reliance on any forward-looking statements, as actual
results may differ from those contemplated by our 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
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SOURCE RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation