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RXi Initiates Third Phase IIa Trial of Anti-scarring Drug

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NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – RXi Pharmaceuticals this week announced that it has started a third Phase IIa trial for its anti-scarring treatment RXI-109.

RXI-109 is composed of siRNAs designed to inhibit connective tissue growth factor — a protein linked to wound healing and other fibrotic processes. It incorporates a proprietary self-delivering technology that enables cellular uptake of the RNAi molecules without the need for a delivery vehicle.

The drug is already in two Phase IIa studies — on comparing it against placebo in healthy subjects who undergo an elective surgical revision of a transverse hypertrophic scar on their abdomen and another in healthy subjects who undergo an elective keloid excision.

In the newly announced trial, RXI-109 will be tested in patients undergoing scar revision surgery for either a single scar or two scars comparable in length, anatomical location, and characteristics.

"For a single scar, a portion of the revised scar segment will be treated with RXI-109 and a comparably sized length on the opposite end of the excised scar segment will be left untreated," RXi said. "If two scars are revised, a portion of one revised scar segment will be treated with RXI-109 and one scar will be left untreated after revision surgery."

Patients will be followed for nine months.

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