RXi Pharma claimed that one of the challenges in developing RNAi-based therapeutics is finding ways to deliver them to their target while keeping them fully active.
RXi’s proprietary rxRNA molecules are chemically modified to provide them with important properties such as stability in biological fluids, low stimulatory effect on the immune system and high target specificity.
Philips’ image-guided ultrasound-mediated drug delivery platform offers researchers an approach to investigating the delivery of various therapeutic molecules across blood vessel barriers and facilitating their uptake in cells. It capitalizes upon Philips’ existing expertise in medical imaging technologies for diagnosis, therapy planning and minimally-invasive medical procedures.
RXi and Philips will contribute proprietary technologies, resources and expertise to test novel approaches for the targeted delivery of RXi’s sd-rxRNA compounds in appropriate preclinical models using ultrasound-mediated drug delivery under image guidance.
The preparation and research will be conducted at Philips’ Life Tech research facilities at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven (The Netherlands), which are dedicated to R&D at the interface of life sciences and medical technologies, and at RXi’s research and development facilities in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
Henk Houten, senior vice president of Philips Research and head of the healthcare research program, said: “As part of Philips’ holistic care cycle approach to patient care, we are constantly exploring novel concepts for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of diseases. Our decision to jointly research RNAi-based therapies with RXi is driven by our belief that patient care will ultimately benefit from the combination of novel drugs and advanced medical imaging technologies.”
Noah Beerman, president and CEO at RXi, said: “By combining RXi’s proprietary sd-rxRNA molecules, which have unique properties of ‘self delivery’, and Philips’ ultrasound technologies, we will be working together to achieve targeted and specific delivery to relevant organs and tissues, which could potentially boost the efficacy of RNAi-based disease treatments.”