The investment potential of the microbiome looks to be ramping up – as evidenced by a new, $40 million Series B round funneled into Cambridge biotech Synlogic. The company’s engineering “designer probiotics” to treat a range of diseases.
The company will focus on bringing to programs – that treat Urea cycle disease and phenylketonuria – to the clinic early next year. It also plans to use the funding to expand its “synthetic biotics” pipeline across multiple therapeutic areas.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
These altered microbes are meant to correct metabolic dysregulation in the body, righting the course of disease. It’s working with AbbVie to develop these enhanced probiotics to treat irritable bowel disease.
In 2013, Synlogic closed out a $30 million Series A round. Investors in this round include OrbiMed, Deerfield Management, Atlas Venture and New Enterprise Associates.
