SNIPR Biome receives funding for the development of CRISPR-medicines to improve Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED) in pregnant women
June 28 2024 - 2:50AM
SNIPR Biome, a pioneer in the development CRISPR-Cas armed phages
(CAPs) to prevent and treat bacterial infections, announced today
that it has received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation to develop a microbiome-directed intervention designed
to improve environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) by reducing gut
entero-pathogen burden in pregnant women from low- and
middle-income countries (LMICs).
EED is a syndrome of the small intestine characterized by
chronic low-grade inflammation due to the presence of
entero-pathogens, resulting in poor gut health and a reduction in
nutrient absorption. In pregnant women, a deficit in nutritional
intake or absorption can negatively impact fetal development. By
specifically targeting gut entero-pathogens, SNIPR Biome may be
able to improve EED and pregnancy outcomes in low- and
middle-income countries.
The aim of this grant is to generate CRISPR-armed phages (CAPs)
from SNIPR Biome’s extensive phage library that has a broad and
robust antibacterial activity on Escherichia coli and Klebsiella
pneumoniae strains sourced from sites in LMICs. SNIPR Biome has
developed an existing CRISPR-armed phage cocktail (SNIPR001)
comprising four CAPs broadly targeting E. coli, which will be
leveraged in this project.
Christian Grøndahl, CEO, Co-founder, SNIPR BIOME commented: “We
are honored and grateful for the trust that the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation has placed in us. Receiving funding from the Gates
Foundation is a strong endorsement of SNIPR Biome’s ability to
improve global health and make our products available in both
developed and developing countries.”
About SNIPR BIOMESNIPR
Biome is a Danish clinical-stage biotech company pioneering the
development of precision medicines using CRISPR technology for
microbial gene therapy. We are pioneering a novel use of CRISPR-Cas
technology to better treat and prevent human diseases through
precision killing of bacteria or gene modification. SNIPR Biome was
the first company to orally dose humans with a CRISPR therapeutic
and the first company to have been granted US and European patents
for the use of CRISPR for targeting microbiomes. SNIPR technology
is used in collaborations with Novo Nordisk A/S, CARB-X, SPRIN-D,
and MD Anderson Cancer Center. For more information,
visit www.sniprbiome.com and follow us
on LinkedIn and X.
ContactSNIPR BiomeDr Christian Grøndahl,
Co-founder and CEOcontact@sniprbiome.comwww.sniprbiome.com