Ferring and PharmaBiome enter into a new microbiome R&D collaboration and exclusive licensing agreement

Saint-Prex and Schlieren, Switzerland– 11 December, 2023 – Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Zürich-based microbiome translation company PharmaBiome are today announcing a research & development collaboration to drive forward new microbiome-based biotherapeutics in the field of gastroenterology.

The deal provides Ferring with exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize next generation microbiome-based therapeutics within the field of gastroenterology arising out of the collaboration. The financial details of this deal are undisclosed.

“This agreement is the latest in Ferring’s long term mission to maximise the therapeutic potential of the gut microbiome for the benefit of patients. PharmaBiome’s unique technology enables identification and manufacturing of defined consortium live microbiome bio-therapeutics that could reverse microbiome dysbiosis linked to disease,” said Carl Bilbo, Senior Vice President, Microbiome at Ferring Pharmaceuticals.  “This collaboration is a successful example of our strategy to use external innovation to build our pipeline complementary to our in-house research; and we aim to do further collaborations to build a vibrant research community.”

Tomas de Wouters, CEO, PharmaBiome said: “The trust of Ferring in our translational approach is an important validation of our work and a unique opportunity to accelerate the development of our rationally designed consortia with an experienced market leader in the microbiome therapeutic field. We are thrilled about the complementary expertise between our companies and look forward to a fruitful collaboration”.

Based on two core technologies, PharmaBiome has developed a unique technology platform to select bacterial strains for the design of bacterial consortia as live biotherapeutic products with defined activities – the NicheMap^TM and a co-cultivation approach that enables fast and scalable production. PharmaBiome’s programmes aim at a next generation of products that are independent of donor material and deliver exactly the consortium of bacterial strains with the desired activity and therapeutic effect (“defined consortia”).

Ferring is the first company to successfully bring forward a first-in-class FDA approved live microbiome-based therapy to US patients. In addition, Ferring has the proven scale and ability to drive forward clinical trials and manufacture microbiome-based products in what is a pioneering field and has a long heritage within gastroenterology.