Core Viewpoint - Phio Pharmaceuticals has received a positive recommendation from the Safety Monitoring Committee to advance its clinical trial for PH-762, a siRNA compound targeting skin cancer, to the fifth dose escalation cohort, indicating a supportive safety profile through the fourth cohort [1][6]. Group 1: Clinical Trial Progress - The Phase 1b clinical trial (NCT 06014086) has enrolled five patients in the fourth cohort, with four diagnosed with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and one with Merkel cell carcinoma, all of whom tolerated the injections well without serious adverse events [2][4]. - A total of 15 patients have been treated across the first four cohorts, including 13 with cSCC, one with metastatic melanoma, and one with Merkel cell carcinoma [4]. - The company anticipates completing enrollment in the final cohort by the third quarter of 2025 [6]. Group 2: Efficacy and Safety Profile - Pathological responses at Day 36 showed a complete response (100% tumor clearance) in 4 out of 9 patients with cSCC, with one patient showing near complete response (>90% clearance) and another showing partial response (>50% clearance) [5]. - No patients exhibited clinical progression of disease, and the continuing favorable safety profile of PH-762 suggests it may be a well-tolerated treatment option for skin cancer [6][3]. Group 3: Company Overview - Phio Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage siRNA biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutics using its proprietary INTASYL® gene silencing technology, particularly in the field of immuno-oncology [7][8]. - PH-762 is designed to silence the PD-1 gene, which is implicated in various forms of skin cancer, and represents a potential non-surgical treatment option [8].