LSQ Affiliate Microba Completes Phase 1 IBS Treatment Trials

Microba Life Sciences, an LSQ-affiliated gut health research, discovery, and testing organisation, has just completed Phase 1 trials on a promising new drug to treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), in particular Ulcerative Colitis.

The experimental drug, known as MAP 315, was discovered through analysis of Microba’s uniquely large proprietary human database. Microba’s flagship product, an at-home gut microbiome testing kit, has given them the massive amounts of data required to perform this vital research into a disease that causes extreme discomfort to more than 7 million people globally. Existing treatments only reduce the symptoms without addressing the root cause, which MAP 315 aims to do.

MAP 315 is a previously uncharacterised novel bacteria species commonly observed in healthy individuals but found lacking in those living with IBS and IBD. The bacteria is grown in a lab, encased in a capsule, and administered orally to patients, after which the bacteria promotes epithelial restitution and mucosal healing – biological activities that are critical for sustained disease remission but not adequately addressed through existing therapy. 

The Phase 1 trials involved 32 patients being dosed with the medication in a randomised, controlled study for two weeks. The results demonstrate a strong safety and tolerability profile for MAP 315 across low and high dose cohorts. This supports the continued clinical development of the lead drug candidate for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Full study details can be found in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ANZCTR) under study ID: ACTRN12623000291684. 

Professor Trent Munro, SVP of Therapeutics at Microba said: “We are very pleased with the results from this clinical study, which provide the foundation for further clinical development of MAP 315 in patients with Ulcerative Colitis. Microbiome based live biotherapeutics have the potential to be a revolutionary new therapeutic modality and this is exemplified by the observed safety profile in this study.

“This takes us another step forward as we look to develop MAP 315 as a new treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease sufferers.”

A growing body of evidence suggests that the gut microbiome plays a central role in the maintenance of human health and the prevention or development of chronic disease. With many advanced microbiome-based therapeutics now in clinical development, novel drugs like MAP 315 represent an exciting new opportunity for the treatment of chronic diseases that are underserved by current pharmaceuticals.

Microba stands at the forefront of the microbiome field using its advanced proprietary metagenomics technology developed by leading Australian researchers in the top 1% of cited researchers globally. Microba has established a data-driven platform for drug discovery and development from the human gut microbiome leveraging their globally unique and proprietary databank, Microba has established a unique, repeatable Therapeutic Platform to address large unmet clinical needs for chronic diseases with microbiome-based treatments. Microba has established three therapeutic programs spanning IBS, Immuno-Oncology, and Autoimmune Diseases, with lead candidate MAP 315 under the Company’s IBS program being the first program to enter human clinical trials.

We here at LSQ are proud of our member Microba Life Sciences and the advanced, life-changing work they bring to identifying and treating chronic diseases and improving health and quality of life for patients globally.