RXi Pharmaceuticals Obtains An Exclusive Worldwide License To Technology For The Oral Delivery Of Rnai Therapeutics From The University Of Massachusetts Medical School
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company pursuing the development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi),recently announced that it has licensed exclusive worldwide rights from the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) to certain technology for the oral delivery of RNAi therapeutics. The technology was developed by Dr. Michael Czech, Professor and Chair, Program in Molecular Medicine at UMMS and an RXi founder, and Dr. Gary R. Ostroff, Professor of Molecular Medicine at UMMS and an RXi collaborator. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Tod Woolf, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of RXi Pharmaceuticals, commented, "The development of technology that potentially enables oral delivery represents a truly dramatic advance for the field of RNAi therapeutics, and could open up significant market opportunities for RXi. We view this license as a major step toward our goal of developing such drugs as it allows us to potentially target a new class of cells that cannot be accessed either by traditional RNAi delivery methods, local administration or injection. In particular, we believe that UMMS' oral delivery technology, which targets certain types of inflammatory cells called macrophages, may allow us to develop orally administered rxRNA compounds for the treatment of a variety of significant inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, Crohn's disease, atherosclerosis, psoriasis and Type II diabetes. Since some of the most advanced and successful anti-inflammatory drugs currently on the market require injection, an orally administered RNAi compound could have significant competitive advantages for both patients and physicians."
Dr. Woolf continued, "We believe that RXi has one of the most comprehensive RNAi therapeutic technology platforms in the industry, which now includes oral, as well as local (CNS) and systemic delivery (nanotransporters) technology. It is widely believed that delivery technologies are key to enabling the successful commercialization of RNAi interference drug candidates and RXi has made great strides in acquiring and developing its various platforms in order to deliver proprietary, next generation rxRNA compounds to specific target tissues and diseases."
Going forward, management noted, RXi intends to work with pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners to advance the discovery and development of orally delivered rxRNA therapeutics for a host of inflammatory diseases.
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 Pharmaceuticals' rxRNA compounds are distinct from the siRNA compounds used by many other companies developing RNAi therapeutics and are very active and potent (10-100pM activity in cell culture) based on the company's internal research, in addition to being nuclease resistant and readily manufactured. 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
SOURCE: RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation