”An expansive view of design has been adopted at CHAIN Biotechnology, which is developing new therapeutics based on living microbes where the “bug is the drug.” These drugs are based on a single strain of Clostridium bacteria that is naturally found in the gut, but which has been deliberately engineered to carry a therapeutic payload, such as custom metabolites, enzymes, or peptides.”
https://www.genengnews.com/insights/synthetic-biology-seizes-new-ground-in-healthcare/
CHAIN’s drug delivery platform and lead product, β-hydroxybutyrate, is highlighted in a new report ‘Catalysing Investment and Growth’, released by the BioIndustry Association this week. Our microbiome therapeutics are based on spores of Clostridium bacterial species. We have successfully demonstrated scale-up of bacterial spore production with our partners at Porton Biopharma Ltd as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, through a grant awarded by Innovate UK. The project also investigated the feasibility of developing a production facility with another UK company, Scitech Engineering Ltd.
The report explains how investment and growth is driven by the UK life sciences sector and emphasises the need for further public investment in the sector. The report aims to inform the Government, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and other policymakers as they prepare for the upcoming Spending Review and develop an R&D roadmap to reach the target of raising R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. The full report can be found here.
MARLOW & NOTTINGHAM, UK. — April 8, 2019 – UK microbiome therapeutics company CHAIN Biotechnology has appointed two new non-executive directors, Dr Nel Moore and Dr Robert Haigh to the Board.
Dr Nel Moore has considerable experience in drug development with a track record taking therapeutics to market as former Global Product Vice President at AstraZeneca. Dr Moore led the development, submission and approval of ZaviceftaTM, a combination drug of the antibiotic cephalosporin and a β-lacatamase inhibitor, for the treatment of multidrug resistant bacterial infections. She went on to build up and lead the antibiotics development organisation as part of a semi-autonomous antibiotics business unit within AstraZeneca. Dr Moore has a PhD in Medical Biochemistry from Birmingham University and currently chairs the CARB-X milestone review board.
Dr Robert Haigh has many years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry at management level. Dr Haigh served as COO of Oxford spin-out Neuro-Bio Ltd prior to joining CHAIN and co-founded KalVista Pharmaceuticals in 2011. Dr Haigh began his career with Boehringer Ingelheim before moving through senior management roles within Ferring Pharmaceuticals finishing as CEO of their R&D site in the UK and Board Director of the US R&D site. Dr Haigh then led the spinout of Ferring’s small molecule assets to become founder and CSO of Vantia Ltd, before founding KalVista Pharmaceuticals where he served as COO.
CHAIN Chief Executive Dr Edward Green commented,
“We are delighted that Nel and Robert have joined the team. They both have considerable expertise and experience in drug development and commercialisation that will support our plans to advance our lead drug candidate into the clinic. The drug is a live biotherapeutic product producing a potent anti-inflammatory metabolite in the large intestine and designed to treat ulcerative colitis.”
Dr Nel Moore
Dr Robert Haigh
About CHAIN:
CHAIN Biotechnology is a UK microbiome therapeutics company focused on the development and commercialisation of novel microbial technology for the production and delivery of biotherapeutics to the gut. The company’s microbial technology has the potential to be highly disruptive both in terms of cost but also efficacy for the treatment and prevention of chronic and debilitating gut related diseases. CHAIN was founded in 2014 by serial entrepreneur Dr Edward Green. The Company has bases in Marlow (Head office) and MediCity Nottingham (Research Lab).
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