Vedanta Biosciences, a clinical-stage company developing a new category of therapies for immune-mediated diseases has received a $25 million investment from Pfizer.
Investment
The investment comes as part of the Pfizer Breakthrough Growth Initiative, which was set up by the pharma giant to invest in biotechnology companies that have promising clinical development programmes.
Vedanta is developing therapies for immune-mediated diseases based on rationally defined consortia of human microbiome-derived bacteria. One of the company’s therapies, VE202, is designed to induce immune tolerance via the gut, potentially treating inflammatory bowel disease. The therapy is produced from pure, clonal bacterial cell banks, which yield a standardized drug product in powdered form and bypasses the need to rely on direct sourcing of fecal donor material.
Vedanta intends to use the proceeds to fund a Phase 2 study of VE202 in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which it plans to initiate in 2021. Topline Phase 1 study data showed VE202 was generally safe and well-tolerated at all doses and demonstrated durable and dose-dependent colonisation. Results showing the biology and candidate selection of VE202 have been published in Science and Nature.
“We thank Pfizer for its investment in Vedanta and support of our IBD program and look forward to advancing microbiome modulation as a potential new treatment modality for IBD patients,” said Bernat Olle, co-founder and chief executive officer of Vedanta Biosciences.
“Inflammatory bowel disease has a daily, chronic impact on as many as 1.6 million Americans, and with cases on the rise in the US, patients urgently need new therapeutic options,” said Michael Vincent, senior vice president and chief scientific officer, Inflammation & Immunology Research Unit at Pfizer. “We believe Vedanta’s approach to modulating the microbiome may hold promise for people living with IBD, and we are excited for its potential as this important study moves forward.”