Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Form: 8-K, Received: 04/18/2023 07:56:05)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): April 18, 2023

PHIO PHARMACEUTICALS CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware		001-36304		45-3215903
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)		(Commission File Number)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

257 Simarano Drive, Suite 101
Marlborough, Massachusetts	01752
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (508) 767-3861

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class:		Trading Symbol(s):		Name of each exchange on which registered:
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share		PHIO		The Nasdaq Capital Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 8.01. Other Events.

On April 18, 2023, Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. issued a press release announcing a poster presentation that was held on April 18, 2023, at the American Association for Cancer Research 2023 Annual Meeting entitled “Phio Pharmaceuticals Presents Preclinical Data Demonstrating Synergy-Enhanced in vivo Anti-Tumor Efficacy of PD-1/CTLA-4 Dual-Targeting INTASYL.” The full text of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

Number		Description
99.1		Press Release issued by the Company on April 18, 2023.
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	PHIO PHARMACEUTICALS CORP.


Date: April 18, 2023	By:	/s/ Robert Bitterman
		Name: Robert Bitterman Title: President & Chief Executive Officer

Exhibit 99.1

Phio Pharmaceuticals Presents Preclinical Data Demonstrating Synergy-Enhanced in vivo Anti-Tumor Efficacy of PD-1/CTLA-4 Dual-Targeting INTASYL

- Data to be presented at American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2023 -

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., April 18, 2023 /PRNewswire—Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq: PHIO), a clinical stage biotechnology company whose proprietary INTASYL™ RNAi platform technology is designed to make immune cells more effective in killing tumor cells, today announced that in vivo data from a mouse model of colon cancer demonstrates target synergy-enhanced anti-tumor efficacy from a novel dual-targeting mouse PD-1 and CTLA-4 of an INTASYL coformulation.

Intratumoral administration of the PD-1/CTLA-4 INTASYL improved tumor control compared to either single targeting formulation, at an identical total dose. The dual-targeting formulation was well tolerated.

“The synergistic effects of dual inhibition of PD-1 and CTLA-4 in enhancing tumor response are clinically recognized, however, a high rate of immune-related adverse events limits the utility of systemic use of this combination of products,” said Dr. Mary Spellman, Phio’s Acting Chief Medical Officer. “Intratumoral administration of dual-targeting PD-1/CTLA-4 INTASYL may provide an effective treatment option, with an improved safety profile.”

Presentation Details:

Poster Title:	INTASYL self-delivering RNAi therapeutic dual targeting PD-1 and CTLA-4 provides synergistic antitumor efficacy in the treatment of murine colon cancer in vivo

Session Date and Time:	Tuesday, April 18, 2023 from 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM EST

About Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Nasdaq: PHIO) is a clinical stage biotechnology company whose proprietary INTASYL™ RNAi technology is designed to make immune cells more effective in killing tumor cells. INTASYL is the only self-delivering RNAi technology focused on immuno-oncology therapeutics. INTASYL drugs precisely target specific proteins that reduce the body's ability to fight cancer, without the need for specialized formulations or drug delivery systems.

For additional information, visit the Company's website, www.phiopharma.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "intends," "believes," "anticipates," "indicates," "plans," "expects," "suggests," "may," "would," "should," "potential," "designed to," "will," "ongoing," "estimate," "forecast," "target," "predict," "could" and similar references, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Examples of forward looking statements include statements regarding dual-targeting PD-1/CTLA-4 INTASYL’s potential to provide an effective treatment option with improved safety profiles. Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of important factors, including, but not limited to, the impact to our business and operations by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, military conflict between Ukraine and Russia, inflationary pressures, rising interest rates, recession fears, the development of our product candidates, results from our preclinical and clinical activities, our ability to execute on business strategies, our ability to develop our product candidates with collaboration partners, and the success of any such collaborations, the timeline and duration for advancing our product candidates into clinical development, the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, the success of our efforts to commercialize our product candidates if approved, our ability to manufacture and supply our product candidates for clinical activities, and for commercial use if approved, the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our technology platform, our ability to obtain future financing, market and other conditions and those identified in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the caption "Risk Factors" and in other filings the Company periodically makes with the SEC. Readers are urged to review these risk factors and to not act in reliance on any forward-looking statements, as actual results may differ from those contemplated by our forward-looking statements. Phio does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views, events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release, except as required by law.

Contact Phio Pharmaceuticals Corp.

ir@phiopharma.com

Investor Contact
Ashley R. Robinson
LifeSci Advisors
arr@lifesciadvisors.com