Australia’s BiomeBank Seeks Approval for the World’s First Microbial Therapy

Microbiomes have been proven to be linked to several diseases, and scientists worldwide have started to explore the potential of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). 

World-First Microbial Therapy

On July 1st, Australia’s BiomeBank submitted its Clostridioides difficile and Ulcerative Colitis treatment to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for market authorization. And if the therapy is approved, it would be the first drug for microbial therapy. “We’re positioning BiomeBank as a global leader in microbial drug development with a GMP facility in South Australia, a first-generation microbial therapy now submitted for approval and a rapidly growing portfolio of second-generation products in the pipeline,” said Thomas Mitchell, CEO of BiomeBank. The drug has already been used as an alternative to ulcerative colitis treatment. It is designed to treat patients with recurrent C. difficile and mild to moderate ulcerative colitis by FMT.

BiomeBank Raises $100,000 to Tackle Challenges in FMT Research

Established in 2016, BiomeBank established the first microbial therapy production site in Australia. In mid-2021, it raised $30 million from VC investors to continue research and drug development. The company also has plans to develop microbiome drug products and expand its reach in the Asia Pacific region.

On June 24th,  BiomeBank announced a collaboration with RMIT University in Australia. In addition, it received $100,000 in funding from the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) to develop bioreactor technology to increase the scale of FMT and decrease the cost. 

Related Article: AbbVie’s JAK1 Inhibitor Aces Ulcerative Colitis Trial, Prospers Amid Tough Regulatory Climate

Author

Tyler Chen

"Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died."- Erma Bombeck