RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Nasdaq: RXII), a biopharmaceutical company pursuing the development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi), today announced that Notices of Allowance were recently issued by the United States Patent Office (USPTO) on patent applications filed by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and licensed to RXi Pharmaceuticals encompassing small interfering RNA (siRNA) sequences targeting superoxide dismutase (SOD1), Amyloid beta (A4) precursor protein (APP), interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4), hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET protooncogene) and cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor p27 (also known as Kip1, CDKN1B).
These applications, which contain claims that cover specific siRNA sequences, are the first to have received notices of allowance by the USPTO of many patent applications encompassing siRNA sequences licensed by RXi from Thermo Fisher Scientific. These functional siRNA sequences were originally selected utilizing Thermo Fisher Scientific’s proprietary siRNA sequence selection algorithm, which was co-developed by Anastasia Khvorova, Ph.D., RXi’s Chief Scientific Officer, when she was previously at Thermo Fisher Scientific. RXi has obtained broad rights to these sequence-specific patent applications.
Tod Woolf, Ph.D. President and CEO of RXi Pharmaceuticals commented, “We are delighted that the US Patent Office has allowed a number of these siRNA sequence-specific patent applications to issue. These sequence-specific patent applications and the ones we expect to follow add another important component to our robust intellectual property portfolio, encompassing our advanced RNAi therapeutics and further enabling RXi to develop drugs for multiple indications and to build a sustainable pipeline of products for unmet medical needs.”
About RNA Interference (RNAi)
Regarded as a revolutionary discovery in biology, RNA interference (RNAi) is a naturally occurring mechanism whereby short, double-stranded RNA molecules interfere with the expression of genes in living cells. This mechanism has the potential to be harnessed to “silence” or specifically block the production of disease-causing proteins before they are made. This technology can potentially be used to treat human diseases by “turning-off” genes that lead to disease in the first place. RXi Pharmaceuticals is using RNAi technology to develop RNA-derived molecules targeting disease-causing genes.
About RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation
RXi Pharmaceuticals is a discovery-stage biopharmaceutical company pursuing the development and potential commercialization of proprietary therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi) for the treatment of human diseases. RXi has a comprehensive therapeutic platform that includes both RNAi compounds and delivery technologies. RXi uses its own version of RNAi compounds -- rxRNA™ -- that provide an advanced alternative to conventional small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and define the next generation of RNAi technology. rxRNA™ compounds are designed specifically for therapeutic use and contain many of the properties needed to rapidly advance RNAi based drugs into the clinic. RXi Pharmaceuticals believes it is well positioned to compete successfully in the RNAi-based therapeutics market with its accomplished scientific advisors, including Dr. Craig Mello, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize for his co-discovery of RNAi; a management team that is experienced in developing RNAi products; and a strong early intellectual property position in RNAi chemistry and delivery. 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, plan and future development of RXi Pharmaceutical Corporation’s products and technologies. These forward-looking statements about future expectations, plans and prospects of the development of RXi Pharmaceutical Corporation’s products and technologies involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risk that the development of our RNAi-based therapeutics may be delayed or may not proceed as planned and we may not be able to complete development of any RNAi-based product, the risk that the FDA approval process may be delayed for any drugs that we develop, risks related to development and commercialization of products by our competitors, risks related to our ability to control the timing and terms of collaborations with third parties and the possibility that other companies or organizations may assert patent rights that prevent us from developing our products. Actual results may differ materially from those RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation contemplated by these forward-looking statements. RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
Contacts:
RXi Pharmaceuticals
Donna Falcetti, 508-929-3615
ir@rxipharma.com
or
Investors:
S.
A. Noonan Communications
Susan Noonan, 212-966-3650
susan@sanoonan.com
or
Media:
Rx
Communications Group
Eric Goldman, 917-322-2563
egoldman@rxir.com
