Developing Beneficial Bacteria as Topical Therapeutics to Treat Skin Diseases

MatriSys Bioscience is leading the discovery and clinical development of a novel class of biopharmaceuticals to transform the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. 

Candidates for bacteriotherapy demonstrate:

MSB-0221 is a proprietary topical bacterial formulation containing a stabilized lyophilized topical preparation of non-pathogenic Staphylococcus hominis, universal strain A9 (ShA9). The topical formulation is applied to the skin of patients, and the lyophilized bacteria ShA9 return to an active state (for at least 96 hrs) and kill Staphylococcus aureus. The mechanism of action includes: production of two lantibiotics, neutralization of S. aureus toxic proteases and PSMs (via Auto Inducing Peptides, AIPs), promotion of commensal community diversity and anti-inflammation. This approach is a dramatic improvement over broad-spectrum antibiotics that destroy pathogenic bacteria but also kill beneficial bacteria by “friendly fire”. Staphylococcus hominis ShA9 also inhibit damaging proteases and toxins from S. epidermidis which degrade the skin barrier and produce an immune reaction.

The first-in-human, Phase 1, double-blinded randomized one-week trial of MSB-0221 or vehicle applied topically on forearm skin of 54 adults with Staphylococcus aureus-positive AD met its primary endpoint of safety. In addition, participants receiving topical application of ShA9 experienced fewer adverse events associated with AD, as well as greatly decreased colonization by S. aureus (P<0.001). Expression of mRNA for psmα was inhibited from S. aureus, even in not killed bacteria, isolated from all participants receiving ShA9 in the trial. A significant correlation was observed within 7 days between improvement in local eczema severity and killing of S. aureus by ShA9 (P<0.008).

MatriSys plans to conduct a Phase 2 clinical trial with 150 patients over a 12-week treatment period. The trial will include a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled safety, tolerability, and efficacy study using MSB-0221 to treat Atopic Dermatitis.

MatriSys pipeline includes treatment for acne, actinic keratosis and skin cancer, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, Netherton syndrome (an orphan disease) and skin pyoderma.

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