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Microbiome therapeutics go small molecule

Small-molecule drugs and biologics that alter the microbiome or its interaction with host tissues are poised to change the face of microbiome therapeutics.
  1. Megan Cully
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Second Genome wasn’t always in the business of drug discovery. When the firm launched in 2009 as PhyloTech, its aim was to analyse microbial diversity in air, water and soil samples using DNA microchip technology. But in the subsequent years the field of human microbiomics blossomed, with researchers recognizing that bacteria are not just pathogenic villains but that they can also be health heroes. Second Genome pivoted, its business strategy tracking that of the evolving microbiome landscape.

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Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 18, 569-572 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41573-019-00122-8

Updates & Corrections

  • Correction 12 July 2019: The name of the company Kaleido Biosciences and the status of drug candidates it is developing have been corrected in Table 1, and the indication for SYN-010 has been corrected to irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. It has also been clarified that Zehna Therapeutics and Emily Balskus at Harvard University are both separately developing CutC inhibitors.

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