Philips and RXi Pharmaceuticals Team Up for RNAi ResearchPhilips and RXi Pharmaceuticals Team Up for RNAi Research

Although compounds based on RNAi offer the potential to treat cancers and cardiovascular diseases, there are many challenges invoved with delivering the compounds. Philips says it will attempt to overcome these problems by using RXi's sd-rxRNA together with its ultrasound technology.

"Our decision to jointly research RNAi-based therapies with RXi is driven by our belief that patient care will ultimately benefit from the combination of novel drugs and advanced medical imaging technologies,” said Henk van Houten, senior vice president of Philips Research and head of the healthcare research program, in a realease. “The development of ultrasound techniques that could non-invasively trigger the delivery of new drug formats such as RNAi therapeutics at a targeted location opens up exciting possibilities for advancing personalized medicine."