OliX Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that the Company identified effective inhibition of target gene expression in rodent brain tissues for its central nervous system treatment program. OliX is currently developing therapeutics for CNS diseases, such as neuropathic pains and degenerative brain disorders, using its proprietary cell-penetrating asymmetric RNA platform (cp-asiRNA). With a single intrathecal injection of its optimized therapeutic candidate, the Company identified up to 90% knockdown of gene expression in a rodent study.

The siRNA was delivered not only to the spinal cord but also to multiple areas of the brain. The most common degenerative brain diseases include Alzheimer's disease, which affects one in 100 seniors aged 65 years or older, and Parkinson's disease, a motor disturbance disease caused by loss of brain nerve cells. Neuropathic pains occur due to damages or functional anomalies in the nervous system.