MARLBOROUGH, Mass.,
June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/
-- RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII), a
clinical-stage RNAi company developing innovative therapeutics that
address significant unmet medical needs, announced today the
initiation of a consumer/functional testing program with RXI-231, a
cosmetic ingredient based on sd-rxRNA® that targets tyrosinase
(TYR). The cosmetic product that will be tested is a gel
formulation designed to aid in the reduction of pigmentation and
thereby improving skin appearance. The consumer testing program
will evaluate the use and consumer acceptability of RXI-231.
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"We are very pleased to begin consumer testing with our novel
products," said Dr. Gerrit
Dispersyn, Chief Development Officer. He added that
"This is an exciting opportunity for us to evaluate the
capabilities of our technology for the use in the consumer care
space. We anticipate the duration of the combined studies
under this program to be approximately 3-4 months enabling us to
report results in Q4 of this year."
Three studies are planned under this program. The first two
studies in volunteers are performed to determine irritation and
sensitization potential of the gel product containing RXI-231 when
applied to the skin. The RXI-231 gel is intended to improve
the appearance of existing areas of hyperpigmentation on the
skin. Therefore, a third study will investigate the potential
of the product to improve the appearance of skin pigmentation
induced by UV exposure.
RXI-231 targets TYR, a key enzyme involved in the synthesis of
melanin. Initial results with RXI-231 lead to a visible
reduction of pigmentation in 3-dimensional reconstituted human
epidermal culture. Further testing has shown a decrease in melanin
content in primary human melanocytes lasting for at least one week
after a single dose. RXi has developed a gel formulation that
allows the cosmetic ingredients to penetrate into the skin layers
where the melanin producing cells reside. The Company completed the
manufacture of a large batch of RXI-231 containing gel product for
this consumer testing study.
About RXi's Consumer Care Products
RXi's consumer care products are intended to affect the
appearance of the skin. The Company has selected tyrosinase and
collagenase as targets for its self-delivering RNAi platform
because they are relevant for consumer product development. Two
sd-rxRNA compounds, RXI-231 and RXI-185, are currently in
development as cosmetic ingredients to improve the appearance of
pigmentation and improve the appearance of wrinkles or skin laxity,
respectively.
Both RXI-231 and RXI-185 are part of RXi's partnering and
business growth initiatives providing multiple development
opportunities for non-therapeutic skin health.
About RXi Pharmaceuticals
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) is a
clinical-stage company developing innovative therapeutics that
address significant unmet medical needs. Building on the pioneering
discovery of RNAi, scientists at RXi have harnessed the naturally
occurring RNAi process which can "silence" or down-regulate the
expression of a specific gene that may be overexpressed in a
disease condition. RXi developed a robust RNAi therapeutic platform
including self-delivering RNA (sd-rxRNA) compounds that selectively
block the expression of any target in the genome, thus providing
applicability to many therapeutic areas. Our current programs
include cell-based immunotherapy, dermatology, and ophthalmology.
RXi's extensive patent portfolio provides for multiple product and
business development opportunities across a broad spectrum of
therapeutic areas and we actively pursue research collaborations,
partnering and out-licensing opportunities with academia and
pharmaceutical companies. 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