Phio Pharmaceuticals Announces Patent Granted by USPTO, Strengthening the Company’s Intellectual Property Position in Treating Aging Skin and Skin Disorders

Phio’s Compound RXI-185 and RXI-231 designed to treat photo-aging and hyperpigmentation

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., March 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq: PHIO), a clinical stage biotechnology company whose proprietary INTASYL siRNA gene silencing technology is designed to make immune cells more effective in killing tumor cells, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted patent application 17/150,614 for two of its INTASYL Compounds, RXI-185 and RXI-231. The compounds treat age-related skin disorders including photo-aging and dermal hyperpigmentation, targeting the down-regulation of the Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP1) and Tyrosinase (TYR) proteins.

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is a known contributor to skin cancer and aging, inducing the hyperactivity of MMP1 which increases collagen breakdown and reduces collagen synthesis. RXI-185 is a potent silencer of MMP1 expression in the skin, interrupting UVR induced collagen breakdown, thereby, improving and/or slowing the progression for skin thickening, elasticity and wrinkles.  

Various dermal pigmentation conditions including melasma and lentigines are notoriously difficult to treat. RXI-231 has been shown to penetrate the epidermal-dermal junction where tyrosinase-producing melanocytes reside and reduces the levels of tyrosinase (TYR) in the skin, resulting in detectable reductions of both melanin and pigmentation in nonclinical studies.

The Phio patent portfolio now consists of 81 issued patents, 77 of which cover our INTASYL siRNA gene silencing technology. The portfolio includes patents and applications broadly covering both the composition and methods of use of our INTASYL compounds targeting immune checkpoint, cellular differentiation, and metabolism targets for ex vivo cell-based cancer immunotherapies.  

“We have a robust patent portfolio for Phio’s INTASYL siRNA technology,” said Robert Bitterman, CEO of Phio Pharmaceuticals. “The addition of this recent patent grant for treatment of photodamaged skin is complementary to our current initiative in treating skin cancer.”

About Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq: PHIO) is a clinical stage biotechnology company whose proprietary INTASYL RNAi technology is designed to make immune cells more effective in killing tumor cells. INTASYL is the only self-delivering RNAi technology focused on immuno-oncology therapeutics. INTASYL drugs precisely target specific proteins that reduce the body’s ability to fight cancer, without the need for specialized formulations or drug delivery systems.