Recent Developments in Microbiome Therapeutics Recent-Developments-in-Microbiome-Therapeutics-Nov | Page 10

LNC therapeutics 41 is a microbiota-centric R&D products, developing therapies for obesity and related
cardiometabolic diseases. The company’s Temys project aims to restore the intestinal microbiota of patients with
a BMI higher than 25, waist circumference more than 94 cm (men) or 80 cm (women) and who are suffering from
more than two cardiometabolic diseases. The company raised $6.5 million in September 2017, through a Series C
round, raising its total funding to $10 million.
Another company working in the weight management space is the start-up, TargEDys 42 . The company is currently
working towards launching its two nutritional products – ProbioSatys™ for overweight people and ProbioNutrys™
for frail people. The company has already tested the proof of concept for ProbioSatys™ in several animal models
and is aiming to get it to the market by 2019. Their technology is based on the finding that certain gut bacteria from
the enterobacteriaceae family produce a protein (ClpB), that mimics the human satiety hormone (α-MSH), and
which directly acts on the satiety regulation center in the brain. After two rounds of funding, TargEDys has a total
funding of $10.3 million 43 .
Currently focusing on prediabetes and newly diagnosed diabetes type 2, MicroBiome Therapeutics’ 44 lead product,
NM504, is a GI microbiome modulator to help prevent diabetes progression and to lessen the limiting GI side-effects
of the drug, metformin. In October 2016, USPTO issued a notice of allowance for NM504’s patent application 45 .
The patent application covers the use of a unique composition of NM504 in diabetic patients and prediabetics at
risk of developing diabetes, and delivered via formulations such as capsules, tablets, smoothies and nutrition bars.
Digestive System Diseases
While most of the previously mentioned research groups and companies are working on the indirect effects of the
microbiome, a large body of research is still focused on the direct impact of microbiome modulation on the human
digestive system, more specifically on treating diarrhea. The newly formed Finch Therapeutics Group 46 , a merger
of Finch Therapeutics and Crestovo, is one such company. Finch is a microbiome engineering company that utilizes
machine learning algorithms and human-first discovery approach to develop microbial therapies. In collaboration
with Takeda, Finch is developing its lead candidate, FIN-524, based on its Rationally-Selected Microbiota™ platform
for treating ulcerative colitis. With the October 2017 acquisition, Finch has added Crestovo’s lead candidate, CP101,
41 
http://lnctherapeutics.com/
42 http://www.targedys.com/
43 https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/targedys
44 http://www.mbiome.com/
45 U.S. Patent Application No.: 14/238,980, A Human Gastrointestinal Microbiome Modulating Food Supplement for
Improving Blood Glucose Regulation
46 
http://finchtherapeutics.com/
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Recent Developments in Microbiome Therapeutics