Microbiome Report for the week ending 7-29-18

Finch Therapeutics Expands Microbiome IP Portfolio with Six New Patents

Finch Therapeutics Group, Inc announced on 7/25/18 that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued six new patents to Finch covering its Full-Spectrum Microbiota (FSM) and Rationally-Selected Microbiota (RSM) product platforms. The additional IP includes:
* U.S. Patent No. 10,022,406 broadly covers donor-derived compositions. It is solely owned by Finch and provides coverage until at least 2031.
* U.S. Patent No. 9,962,413 broadly covers the use of screened, healthy donors in the manufacture of microbial therapies. It is solely owned by Finch and provides coverage until at least 2031.
* U.S. Patent No. 9,901,603 broadly covers lyophilized formulations of microbial therapies. It is solely owned by Finch and provides coverage until at least 2036.
* U.S. Patent Nos. 9,968,638 and 10,028,980 broadly cover microbial therapies delivered via oral capsules. These patents are exclusively licensed from the Regents of the University of Minnesota and provide coverage through at least 2032.
* U.S. Patent No. 9,962,414 broadly covers pharmaceutical compositions containing a plurality of Clostridium species. It is solely owned by Finch and provides coverage until at least 2021.

“After more than 30 years of translational research developing microbial therapies for patients, I’m thrilled to see the latest additions to Finch’s patent estate which leave the Company uniquely positioned to continue to unlock the therapeutic potential of the microbiome,” said Tom Borody, M.D. who is a named inventor on 27 of Finch’s patents.”

Qu Biologics enrolls the first patient in new Phase 2 Crohn’s disease clinical trial

Qu Biologics Inc. announced that the first patient in the RESTORE Phase 2 clinical trial for patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease has been enrolled. The first stage of this trial is actively recruiting participants at sites in Vancouver BC, New Westminster BC and Hamilton ON.

Building on the results from Qu’s initial clinical trial in Crohn’s disease, the aim of this study is to further establish the safety and efficacy of the investigational drug QBECO SSI for the induction of clinical and endoscopic response and remission. QBECO SSI is intended to restore innate immune function and achieve sustained remission off all medications.
The company's SSIs contain components from a single inactivated microbial species that the immune system recognizes as a common cause of infection in a specific organ or tissue.

Innovate to Study Larazotide's Effect on Microbiome of Children with EED

Innovate Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:INNT) announced on 7/31/18 that it has agreed to collaborate with James P. Nataro, MD, PhD, MBA, the Benjamin Armistead Shepherd Professor and Chair, Director of Children's Services, UVA Children's Hospital of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, whose research is focused on the study of enteric bacteria and their roles in health and disease.

Larazotide's mechanism of action renormalizes the dysfunctional intestinal barrier by decreasing intestinal permeability and reducing antigen trafficking, such as gliadin fragments in celiac disease, and bacterial toxins and immunogenic antigens in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In several diseases, including celiac disease, NASH, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), chronic kidney disease (CKD), the intestinal barrier is dysfunctional with increased permeability.

Advances Along The Gut-Liver-Brain Axis In Alzheimer's Disease: Why Diet May Be So Impactful

Emerging science has correlated certain changes in the gut bacteria with a variety of inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. And studies have shown that changes in diet can change the gut bacteria.
In research reports over the last few years, we've learned a great deal about how diet, particularly overall eating patterns, may be linked to brain health, cognitive decline and possibly even dementia as we age. We've also seen inflammation and its markers — in the brain and other parts of the body — associated with Alzheimer's and other dementias.
Exactly how diet and gut microbes interact with the brain, and influence the brain's health — as a cause, trigger or risk/protective factor — is a relatively new area of investigation for Alzheimer's and other dementias. For example, recently, scientists have reported that some species in the microbiome can promote protein buildup in the brain.