Ghents MRM Health raises 55M to accelerate clinical development of nextgen microbiome drugs

Ghent-headquartered clinical-stage biotech company MRM Health gets €55M capital injection in a Series B financing round led by French pharmaceutical groupBiocodex.
The funding also saw strong participation from German-basedATHOSand new investorBNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity.Existing investors includeSFPIM, Ackermans & van Haaren (AvH), OMX Europe Venture Fund (OMX), Qbic II, and VIB, which also participated in the round.
As part of the transaction, MRM (Microbial Resource Management) and Biocodex are forming a strategic partnership to develop new treatments and enhance manufacturing for live biotherapeutic products (LBPs).
“We warmly welcome our new investors and thank them for their trust,” saidWerner Cautreels, Chairman of the MRM Health Board of Directors. “With this strong international syndicate, MRM Health is well equipped to advance its pipeline and deliver this novel class of therapeutics to patients in need of alternative, innovative treatment options.”
Funds will help MRM Health complete a Phase 2b clinical trial for its lead program, MH002, in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis.
Currently, MH002 is the most advanced Live Biotherapeutic Product (LBP) made from a specific mix of bacteria designed to treat inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
Earlier Phase 2a trials have shown that it is safe and effective for both mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis and the rare condition, pouchitis.
“This funding marks a pivotal moment for MRM Health,” saidSam Possemiers, CEO of MRM Health. “With the support of our experienced international investor syndicate, we are now well-positioned to deliver transformative therapies for patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, where current treatments often fall short.”
Furthermore, Belgian biotech will utilise the capital to obtain approval for its two new microbial programs as Investigational New Drugs (INDs). One program focuses on inflammation, while the other aims to enhance immune-oncology treatments.
MRM Health also plans to grow its range of live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) through partnerships in both human and animal health.
Sam Possemiers-led MRM Health develops microbiome-based Live Biotherapeutic Products for chronic inflammatory diseases with high unmet needs. It is based in a Centre of Expertise for microbiome research and development in the biotech cluster in Ghent.
The company’s CORAL platform enables the creation of effective and scalable microbial treatments for various diseases.
“Our CORAL platform gives us a unique edge in designing potent, resilient and scalable microbiome-based therapeutics. This new funding will allow us to build both our platform and pipeline further,” adds Possemiers.
MRM Health is advancing its primary program, MH002, in clinical development for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and pouchitis. They also have ongoing preclinical studies for other inflammatory diseases and immune-oncology.
MH002 is the most advanced live microbial therapy designed for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD).
During the Phase 2a clinical trial, it has shown positive results for safety and effectiveness in treating mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis and pouchitis.
Developed using MRM Health’s CORAL technology, it features six safe and effective strains that target the main causes of the disease.
MH002 is manufactured through the company’s cGMP manufacturing platform, allowing for the production of complete consortia as a single drug substance.
This efficient manufacturing method is expected to facilitate the therapy’s regulatory approval process and enhance patient compliance.
Julian Zachmann, from ATHOS, said, “Their technology has reached the maturity needed to effectively develop, scale and commercialise live biotherapeutics for major chronic inflammatory diseases with high unmet need. We are proud to support their journey toward significant patient impact.”