Ferring Pharmaceuticals and PharmaBiome, a microbiome translation company based in Zürich, have jointly announced a collaborative research and development initiative aimed at advancing microbiome-based biotherapeutics in the field of gastroenterology.

According to the agreement, Ferring has gained exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize next-generation microbiome-based therapeutics in the gastroenterology domain resulting from this partnership. However, the financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed.

Carl Bilbo, Senior Vice President of Microbiome at Ferring Pharmaceuticals, stated, “This collaboration is the latest step in Ferring's ongoing mission to unlock the therapeutic potential of the gut microbiome for the benefit of patients. PharmaBiome's distinctive technology allows for the identification and production of specific consortium live microbiome biotherapeutics capable of addressing microbiome dysbiosis associated with diseases.” He added that this partnership exemplifies their strategy of leveraging external innovation to complement in-house research, with the anticipation of additional collaborations to foster a dynamic research community.

Tomas de Wouters, CEO of PharmaBiome, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “Ferring's confidence in our translational approach is a significant validation of our work and a unique opportunity to expedite the development of our purposefully designed consortia with an experienced leader in the microbiome therapeutic field. We are excited about the synergies between our companies and anticipate a fruitful collaboration.”

PharmaBiome has developed a proprietary technology platform, leveraging NicheMap™ and a co-cultivation approach, to select bacterial strains for the creation of bacterial consortia as live biotherapeutic products with defined activities. The company's programs aim to produce the next generation of products that are independent of donor material, delivering precisely the consortium of bacterial strains with the desired therapeutic effects ("defined consortia").

Ferring, having already successfully introduced the first FDA-approved live microbiome-based therapy to US patients, possesses the necessary scale and expertise to advance clinical trials and manufacture microbiome-based products in this pioneering field with a rich heritage in gastroenterology.

 

 

Source: businesswire.com

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