Enterome Bioscience And Synthetic Biologics Enter Collaboration

Enterome Bioscience and Synthetic Biologics announced that the companies have entered into collaboration to study the impact of beta-lactam antibiotics on the human intestinal bacteria, also known as the microbiome.

The two companies will jointly conduct metagenomic research on how beta-lactam antibiotics affect patients’ gastrointestinal microflora (microbiome). A clinical microbiome study expected to enroll 100 patients is set to begin next month. Findings from the study will guide the development of Synthetic Biologics’ lead anti-infective candidate SYN-004.

SYN-004 is a novel second generation oral enzyme drug candidate intended to be co-administered with commonly used IV beta-lactam antibiotics. The candidate is intended to protect the gastrointestinal microflora from potential harmful antibiotics effects, thereby helping prevent C. diff infections.

Changes in the human gut microbiome have been linked to several diseases including C. diff infections, obesity, diabetes, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and other metabolic diseases. C. diff is a multidrug-resistant bacterium that infects 1.1 million patients in the U.S. every year. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified C. diff as an ‘urgent public health threat’ surpassing even Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as the leading hospital-acquired infection in the U.S.

The collaborative study will use Enterome’s shotgun metagenomic sequencing technology to establish the profile of the human gut microbiome.

Jeffrey Riley, CEO of Synthetic Biologics, said the company is glad to work with Enterome. “Findings from this study should support our C. diff therapeutic program, which focuses on protecting and maintaining the balance of bacterial microflora in the gut, while also establishing our presence in Europe,” he said.

Pierre Belichard, CEO of Enterome, said, “The signing of this agreement with Synthetic Biologics is another important corporate milestone for Enterome… It is clear that new diagnostic solutions are needed to properly address the growing problem of antibiotic-induced dysbiosis and associated hospital-acquired bacterial infections. Tailoring the use of anti-infective treatments based on microbiome profiling is beginning to show great promise as a way to address the management of infectious diseases.”