CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seres Therapeutics, Inc., (NASDAQ:MCRB) today announced that it has been awarded a grant from CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Accelerator) to support continued preclinical research and early development work for SER-155. The CARB-X grant provides Seres with up to $2.5 million of research funding with potential for an additional $3.1 million upon completion of milestones.
SER-155 is a synthetic, rationally-designed microbiome therapeutic candidate designed to prevent antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections and graft versus host disease in patients following solid organ and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. A significant contribution to the mortality associated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation is the result of bacterial infection and graft versus host disease.1 The SER-155 program will leverage Seres’ advanced microbiome manufacturing capabilities. Seres is the first microbiome company to have brought a synthetic, rationally-designed microbiome development candidate into the clinic with SER-262, an investigational therapeutic, currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b trial.
“We are delighted to have obtained the support of CARB-X, which is a further testament to the potential of microbiome therapeutics in diverse areas of medicine. The spread of drug-resistant bacterial infections is an urgent public health concern and new approaches are desperately needed. Published clinical data by our collaborators, Dr. Eric Pamer and Dr. Marcel van den Brink at Memorial Sloan Kettering, demonstrate that the risk of both infection, and graft versus host disease, is linked to the health of the gastrointestinal microbiome. We believe these data provide a strong rationale to further develop SER-155 for these seriously ill patients, and we look forward to advancing the program into clinical development,” said David Cook, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research at Seres.
About SER-155
SER-155 is a preclinical stage Ecobiotic® rationally designed microbiome therapeutic candidate. The development of SER-155 is supported by clinical data, including data published by Seres’ collaborators at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center which demonstrates that patients undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) who have higher microbiome diversity have improved survival, and lower rates of infection and graft versus host disease.2,3
About Seres Therapeutics
Seres Therapeutics, Inc., is a leading microbiome therapeutics platform company developing a novel class of biological drugs that are designed to treat disease by restoring the function of a dysbiotic microbiome, where the natural state of bacterial diversity and function is imbalanced. Seres’ lead program, SER-109, has obtained Breakthrough Therapy and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is in Phase 3 development for multiply recurrent C. difficileinfection. Seres’ clinical candidate SER-287 has successfully completed a Phase 1b study in patients with mild-to-moderate Ulcerative Colitis. Seres is also developing SER-262, the first ever synthetic microbiome therapeutic candidate, in a Phase 1b study in patients with primary C. difficile infection. For more information, please visit www.serestherapeutics.com. Follow us on Twitter @SeresTx.
About CARB-X
CARB-X is the world’s largest public-private partnership devoted to antibacterial preclinical R&D. Funded by Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Wellcome Trust, with in-kind support from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and plans to spend $450 million from 2017-2021 to support innovative products moving towards human clinical trials. CARB-X focuses on high priority drug-resistant bacteria, especially Gram-negatives. CARB-X is a charitable global public-private partnership led by Boston University School of Law. Other partners include the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, MassBio, the California Life Sciences Institute and RTI International. For more information, please visit www.carb-x.org and follow us on Twitter @CARB_X.
