RXi Pharmaceuticals Strengthens Intellectual Property Portfolio for Dermal Indications

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
[email protected] 

SOURCE RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation

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http://www.rxipharma.com