Deal to facilitate development of advanced RNAi compounds called rxRNA™.
RXi Pharmaceuticals exclusively licensed three RNAi chemistry technologies from TriLink Biotechnologies. The agreement includes rights to sublicense a patented RNA linker technology, a patent application on novel RNAi compositions, and an undisclosed chemistry approach that has potential applications in improving existing RNAi compounds, according to the companies.
“This chemistry technology adds components to our expanding RNAi toolbox and can be integrated with our existing technology portfolio to create advanced RNAi compounds that we call rxRNA™,” comments Tod Woolf, Ph.D., CEO of RXi. “rxRNA is patently distinct from first-generation siRNA and has shown certain potential advantages in terms of potency and other pharmacological properties.”
Terms of the license agreement include upfront and yearly minimum licensing payments, royalties of 1% or less on sales of resulting therapeutic products, and fees based on the achievement of certain clinical milestones.
