Benzinga | Jun 4, 2021 08:07AM EDT

Phio Pharmaceuticals Presents New In Vivo Data at the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting Showing Dual-Targeting INTASYL Offers Increased Efficacy and Safety Potential Over Other Therapeutic Approaches

Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ:PHIO), a biotechnology company developing the next generation of immuno-oncology therapeutics based on its proprietary self-delivering RNAi (INTASYL(tm)) therapeutic platform, today announced positive in vivo data that provide further evidence on the utility of its INTASYL(tm) self-delivering RNAi therapy platform in the field of immuno-oncology. The new study data show how INTASYL can be easily deployed to target multiple proteins and provide evidence of the synergy of the Company's pipeline products. In the study, INTASYL specifically dual-targeting BRD4 and PD-1 elicited complete tumor responses in an in vivo hepatoma model, and significantly outperformed the efficacy of small molecule and antibody treatments towards the same targets.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/786567/Phio_Pharmaceuticals_Logo.jpg

In this study, the Company assessed the efficacy of mouse/human BRD4-targeting INTASYL PH-894 as monotherapy or co-formulated with mouse PD-1 targeting INTASYL mPH-762, in treating a subcutaneous Hepa1-6 model of murine hepatoma in C57BL/6N mice. Positive controls included JQ-1, a small molecule inhibitor of BRD4 and anti-mouse PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) or both treatments.

"We are excited by these new in vivo study results presented at ASCO today, which highlight the potential of INTASYL as a mono- or dual-targeting therapy platform. By using doses that were well below the optimal single agent therapeutic dose identified in previous animal studies, we can obtain very high efficacy by dual-targeting BRD4 and PD-1. Even at these suboptimal concentrations, the dual-targeting INTASYL compound elicited complete responses in 83% of mice, and outperforming JQ-1 and anti-PD-1 mAb treatments, either used individually or in combination. Data from the study also suggests that the dual targeting INTASYL treatment resulted in a superior safety profile, as compared to the JQ-1 and anti-PD-1 mAb treatments," stated Dr. Simon Fricker, Phio's VP of Research. He added, "These data further support our message that INTASYL can outperform other therapeutic approaches, and that synergistic drug combination approaches can be easily executed with a single INTASYL formulation."

A poster further detailing the data presented at the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting titled "INTASYL(tm) self-delivering RNAi therapy specifically dual-targeting BRD4 and PD-1 elicits complete tumor responses and evidence of synergy in a subcutaneous Hepa1-6 model of murine hepatoma in C57BL/6N mice" will be made available on the "Investors -- Events and Presentations" section of the Company's website (click here).