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Synlogic, AbbVie to collaborate on development of novel microbiome-based treatments in IBD
Synlogic today announced a multiyear global research and development partnership with AbbVie to develop novel therapies for inflammatory bowel disease using its “proprietary approach for a new class of synthetic biotic medicines that power the microbiome,” according to a press release.
“Synlogic’s innovative approach to targeting the microbiome offers a new way to address inflammatory bowel disease,” Jim Sullivan, AbbVie’s vice president of pharmaceutical discovery, said in the press release. “AbbVie is committed to collaborating with scientific leaders with new technologies and therapeutic advances that complement AbbVie’s internal expertise and share our commitment to advancing the standard of care for patients.”
The companies hope to combine AbbVie’s expertise in metabolic and inflammatory diseases with Synlogic’s synthetic biology and microbiome platform to develop a novel oral probiotic therapy, which will be “designed with synthetic programmable genetic circuits that can blend with the patient’s microbiome and perform a programmed therapeutic operation involved in the IBD disease process.”
Synlogic will be responsible for the discovery, characterization and optimization of “synthetic biotics-based drug candidates through an R&D program covering a limited number of effectors modulating the IBD pathophysiology,” according to the press release. Both companies will participate in the evaluation of these drug candidates and in their advancement through preclinical development, while AbbVie will lead regulatory filings, clinical development and global marketing of products resulting from the collaboration. The companies have not disclosed financial terms.
“We are delighted to be working with AbbVie, an innovative leader in treating inflammation and autoimmune diseases,” Jose-Carlos Gutiérrez-Ramos, PhD, CEO of Synlogic, said in the press release. “We envision the potential for strong synergy from the combination of AbbVie’s metabolic and inflammation expertise with our novel therapeutic approach of precision programing in the microbiome, opening new ways to create synthetic biotics to address the significant unmet needs for people with IBD. This partnership … is a part of our overall strategy for enabling the broad potential of our synthetic biotics platform by forging partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology leaders to pursue major disease indications affecting millions of patients, while simultaneously accelerating Synlogic’s internal pipeline in rare orphan diseases toward the clinic.”
Disclosures: Sullivan is an employee of AbbVie and Gutiérrez-Ramos is an employee of Synlogic.