In 2011, RXi Pharmaceuticals - that had been active in the SBIR-STTR arena - split into two publicly traded companies: Galena Biopharma Inc. (focused on cancer therapeutics) with the new RXi spinning off to continue the former companys work on RNAi. In 2018, the latter spin-off was renamed as Phio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:PHIO) - the firm working in the space of immuno-oncology therapeutics based on its novel RNAi therapeutic platform including self-delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNA®) compounds,, a discovery-stage biopharmaceutical company. RXi is organized around identifying lead compounds and advancing towards pre-clinical and clinical development programs in various therapeutic areas, including its core focus of developing treatments for anti-scarring and retinal disorders, as well as interest in oncology and indications accessible by spinal cord delivery. RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation has a joint research agreement with Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV for combining their proprietary technologies for the targeted delivery of experimental therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi). Formerly known as Argonaut Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the name change changed to RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation in 2006. originally split off from the publicly traded firm Galena in 2011 with RXi continuing as a publicly traded entity continuing the former companys work on RNAi. Exercising an option granted in 2015, in January 2017, the firm acquired privately held oncology immunotherapy company MirImmune Inc enabling RXI to expand into cancer immunotherapy. During 2018, reflecting that shift, the company's name was changed to Phio Pharmaceuticals with a focus on developing next generation immuno-oncology therapeutics based on the firm's proprietary self-delivering RNAi (sd-rxRNA) therapeutic platform. Immunotherapies harness the immune system to restore surveillance of tumors that evade detection a potential curative medicine. sd-rxRNA therapeutics can be used as a standalone treatment or in combination with other modalities. The firm's development strategy is to tackle different immune escape mechanisms to treat solid tumors in three main areas: Boosting immune cell function Boosting immune effector cell fitness and persistence, and Increasing tumor cell recognition and immunotherapy susceptibility, Essentially, the aim is to maximize the power of the firm's sd-rxRNA therapeutic compounds by weaponizing therapeutic immune effector cells to attack cancer and ultimately provide patients battling terminal cancers with a powerful new treatment option that goes beyond current treatment modalities.
