Pharma, Startups

Colorado startup’s microbiome-modulating drug could improve metformin tolerability

Diabetes drug metformin may be as effective as it’s ubiquitous, but it’s known to throws […]

Diabetes drug metformin may be as effective as it’s ubiquitous, but it’s known to throws the stomach’s balance out of whack. Half the patients experience diarrhea and a quarter vomiting, so patients often scale back on metformin – or stop using it entirely. Also, microbiome imbalances are consistently being linked now to obesity.

Colorado startup MicroBiome Therapeutics is kicking off a Series B round to finance a drug that could modulate gut flora to improve the tolerability of metformin – and to explore its efficacy in treating obesity. It is looking for funding to conduct clinical trials and venture further down the regulatory pathway.

The startup’s drugs aim to alter microbial populations in the GI tract to treat metabolic diseases like diabetes – but possibly others. They’re designed to increase the growth of some bacteria, and discourage the growth of others, evening things out in the microbiome.

A new study in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology just published proof-of-concept results on whether MicroBiome Therapeutics’ orally administered candidate, NM505, works. It found that Type 2 diabetics that were metformin intolerant were more able to process the drug when the dose was coupled with NM505. Because of these early results, MicroBiome Therapeutics said it is planning to conduct a larger clinical trial – and potentially achieve expedited marketing approval with the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway.

Notably, MicroBiome Therapeutics just got a U.S. patent fast-tracked for another microbiome modulator, NM504, to treat both diabetes and obesity. A recent study suggested that the drug could improve post-meal blood glucose and insulin levels in prediabetic and Type 2 diabetes patients.

Also, the company’s finding that another of its candidates, MT303, was able to stimulate greater microbiome diversity, decrease absorption of dietary fat, and mediate changes that improve gastrointestinal function in mice prone to obesity. The results will be published soon in a peer-reviewed journal, the startup says.

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Nottingham Vets]

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