RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapies addressing major unmet medical needs using RNA-targeted technologies, announced that it received the notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on its novel, self-delivering RNAi platform (sd rxRNA). The patent, titled “Reduced Size Self-Delivering RNAi Compounds”, broadly covers both the composition and methods of use of RXi’s self-delivering platform technology. The patent, once issued, will be scheduled to expire in 2029.This core patent, within RXi’s intellectual property portfolio, is the foundation for RXI’s self-delivering platform. The patent broadly protects RXi’s sd rxRNA technology, which facilitates the delivery of RNAi compounds to tissues and cells of interest in the absence of a delivery vehicle. 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. This allows sd rxRNAs to achieve efficient cellular uptake and potent, long-lasting intracellular activity.
“We are pleased to have our novel technology recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office,” said Dr. Geert Cauwenbergh, president and CEO of RXi Pharmaceuticals. He added that, “This key patent is what differentiates RXi’s technology platform from the competition. It provides us with a powerful advantage to deliver our RNAi compounds without delivery vehicles, which are commonly used with the other siRNA compounds in clinical development. The use of our proprietary sd rxRNA technology platform may lead to improved tolerability and thereby potentially broadening of the therapeutic window for these compounds.”
Date: May 22, 2014
Source: RXi Pharmaceuticals
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
