Clinical Trials
SNIPR Biome reports positive findings for first-in-human, CRISPR-based microbial gene therapy
Danish CRISPR-based microbial gene therapy company SNIPR Biome has announced positive interim data from its phase 1 clinical trial with SNIPR001.
SNIPR001 is a CRISPR-armed phage therapeutic that targets and removes Escherichia coli, including antibiotic-resistant strains, from the human gastrointestinal tract. It is initially being looked at for patients with haematological malignancies who are undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplants and are vulnerable to blood infections caused by the translocation of E. coli from the gut.
The study tested SNIPR001 in three levels of doses in 36 healthy people, with an aim to study the safety profile, SNIPR001 recovery and pharmacodynamics of the drug. The trial showed that oral dosing over seven days was well tolerated and that SNIPR001 numerically lowered gut E. coli levels. SNIPR001 could also be recovered in
faeces from treated individuals in a dose-dependent manner.
Dr Christian Grøndahl, CEO and co-founder of SNIPR Biome, commented: “We are thrilled with these positive interim results from our phase 1 clinical trial of SNIPR001, which provide clinical validation for this innovative treatment. With the combined killing effects of bacteriophages and CRISPR-Cas technology, SNIPR001 has demonstrated the ability to target and eliminate antibiotic-resistant E. coli strains in the gut, providing a safe alternative to traditional treatments that do not work against antibiotic-resistantstrains,whilesparing the rest of the gut microbiome. This is a significant milestone in our mission to develop groundbreaking solutions in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, and we look forward to advancing SNIPR001 through further clinical studies to learn more and ultimately, we hope, to improve patient outcomes."