Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp (PHIO)

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - November 15, 2016) - By securing an exclusive option to acquire MirImmune Inc., RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ: RXII) has expanded its reach into the "high-value" field of immune-oncology, a move that has energized the company and prompted a pair of analysts to express optimism about RXi's future.

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Keith Markey of Griffin Securities called the RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp. acquisition option "an attractive opportunity" in a research report released following the Oct. 12 announcement.

"Given the interest in cellular immunotherapies and the proven ability of checkpoint inhibitors to enhance T cell activity, RXi's relatively small investments may well pay off handsomely, particularly if the sd-rxRNA pretreatment obviates the need for expensive checkpoint inhibitors," Markey wrote.

RXi's self-delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNA) compounds have the ability to "'silence' or down-regulate the expression of a specific gene that may be overexpressed in a disease condition," according to the company. Thus far, the partnership with MirImmune has shown in cell cultures that the technology can enhance inhibition of checkpoints such as PD-1, and has the potential to improve the efficacy of innovative immunotherapies such as CAR T-cells.

Continue reading this article: Agreement Launches RXi Pharmaceuticals into Dynamic Immuno-Oncology Arena