RXi Pharmaceuticals to Present at ARVO 2014 Annual Meeting

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., April 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII), a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapies addressing major unmet medical needs using RNA-targeted technologies today announced that the Company will present at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2014 Annual Meeting.

On Sunday, May 4, 2014, from 3:15 to 5:00 p.m. EDT, Lyn Libertine, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs and Safety Assessment at RXi Pharmaceuticals, will present a poster providing an overview of the use of our self-delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNAs®) compounds in the eye. "RXI-109 Treatment for Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and other Ocular Disorders," will be presented during the Retinal Detachment and Allied Diseases session and will be available on the Company's website.

On Thursday, May 8, 2014 at 12:45 p.m. EDT, Michael Byrne, Ph.D., Manager of Pharmacology Research at RXi Pharmaceuticals, will present an update on RXi's work in the area of retinoblastoma, including the gene target being pursued for this indication. Dr. Byrne's presentation, "An Update on the Development of sd‑rxRNA for Retinoblastoma Therapy," will take place during Ocular Tumors-Management and Prognosis session and will be available on the Company's website.

ARVO is the largest and most respected eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include more than 12,750 researchers from over 80 countries. ARVO encourages and assists research, training, publication and knowledge-sharing in vision and ophthalmology. This conference is being held May 4-8, 2014 at the Orlando Convention Center, Orlando, Florida. For more information visit:  http://www.arvo.org  

About RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII) is a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapies based on its proprietary, self-delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNA®) platform. Therapeutics that use RNA interference, or "RNAi," have great promise because of their ability to down-regulate the expression of a specific gene that may be over-expressed in a disease condition. Building on the pioneering work of scientific founder and Nobel Laureate Dr. Craig Mello, a member of the RXi Scientific Advisory Board, RXi's first RNAi product candidate, RXI‑109, targets connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) to reduce dermal scarring (fibrosis), entered into human clinical trials in June 2012. 

RXi's 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. These hybrid oligonucleotide molecules combine the beneficial properties of conventional RNAi and antisense technologies. This allows sd‑rxRNAs to achieve efficient cellular uptake and potent, long-lasting intracellular activity.

RXi Pharmaceuticals' first clinical program involves RXI‑109, an sd-rxRNA compound, developed for the reduction of dermal scarring. RXI‑109 is designed to reduce the expression of connective tissue growth factor ("CTGF"), a critical regulator of biological pathways involved in fibrosis, including scar formation in the skin. The first clinical trials with RXI‑109 showed excellent safety and tolerability with ascending single and multiple doses, as well as dose dependent effects on the CTGF protein and on the mRNA that controls production of this protein. For more information, please visit 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, planned and future development of RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation's products and technologies. Forward-looking statements about expectations and development plans of RXi's products involve significant risks, and uncertainties: risks that RXi may not be able to successfully develop its candidates, or that development of RNAi-based therapeutics may be delayed or not proceed as planned, or that we may not develop any RNAi-based product; risks that the development process for our product candidates may be delayed, risks related to development and commercialization of products by our competitors, risks related to our ability to control timing and terms of collaborations with third parties, and the possibility that other companies or organizations may assert patent rights preventing us from developing our products. Actual results may differ from those contemplated by these 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.

Contacts

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Tamara McGrillen, 508-929-3646
[email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130917/NE80755LOGO

SOURCE RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation