Defined Bacterial Consortia
Defined bacterial consortia are a differentiated modality to target gastrointestinal (GI) diseases
We are developing defined bacterial consortia as oral therapies to treat a wide range of debilitating diseases across multiple therapeutic areas, with an initial focus on gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in which gut dysbiosis — a disruption of the gut microbiota— is a known disease driver.
Our therapeutic candidates are rationally designed consortia of commensal gut bacteria, selected for properties that we believe target the specific microbial, metabolic, and immunologic imbalances involved in a particular disease of interest.
Oral and Convenient
Live bacteria administered via enteric-coated oral capsules
Well-Tolerated
Favorable safety data, with predominantly mild, GI-associated adverse events to date
Pleiotropic Mechanisms of Action
Target specific microbial, metabolic, and immunologic imbalances, to re-establish intestinal homeostasis.
Gut microbiota and its role in human health
The GI tract is known to perform several key functions in human physiology, including digestion and metabolism of food, water absorption, immune defense against pathogens, and provision of a physical barrier that separates the contents of the gut lumen from the underlying tissues and bloodstream.
The gut microbiota—the community of microbes that live in the intestine—plays a central role in each of these major functions of the GI tract:
- Digestion and metabolism: breaking down polysaccharides, synthesizing essential vitamins, and modulating fat metabolism;
- Barrier function: promoting production of mucus and other compounds that prevent harmful substances and pathogenic organisms from entering the bloodstream;
- Immune system regulation: promoting gut immune tolerance; and
- Gut motility: producing metabolites that interact with the nervous system of the GI tract.
Gut dysbiosis is a known driver of inflammatory and infectious GI diseases, as well as a growing list of other immune and metabolic diseases. Multiple randomized, controlled clinical trials have demonstrated that restoration of the gut microbiota can have therapeutic benefit in GI diseases, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD and recurrent C. difficile Infection.
Treating GI diseases with defined bacterial consortia
As a therapeutic approach, defined bacterial consortia—multiple bacterial species interacting with each other—can reconstitute the gut microbiota and reestablish a healthy homeostasis in patients with diseases that are associated with a dysbiotic state. Bacterial consortia can perform complex physiological functions and correct imbalances that are not readily addressable by existing therapeutic approaches.
Inflammation
All existing IBD therapies are aimed at suppressing immune signals and ignore the role of the gut microbiome as a disease driver.
Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseInfection
Intestinal infections cannot be effectively managed by antibiotics alone once the gut microbiome has been destroyed.
Clostridioides difficile
These differentiating functions result from the ability of consortia of live bacteria to compete successfully for nutritional niches in the human intestine and cooperate with each other by trading metabolites, thereby dividing the labor needed to complete complex reactions.
We believe that our targeted approach of harnessing the gut microbiota using defined bacterial consortia could lead to a paradigm shift in the treatment of GI diseases that are not adequately served by current therapies.
Pipeline
Our late-stage pipeline of wholly-owned defined bacterial consortia candidates for gastrointestinal inflammation and infection.
Product Engine
Our discovery platform and advanced manufacturing capabilities, supported by broad foundational intellectual property.