Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRB), a leading live biotherapeutics company, announced that CARB-X, a global non-profit partnership accelerating antibacterial products to address drug-resistant bacteria, will provide up to $3.6 million in additional non-dilutive funding to the Company. The grant will support development and manufacturing of an oral liquid formulation of Seres’ Breakthrough Therapy designated SER-155, for medically vulnerable patient populations at risk of bloodstream infections (BSIs), including antimicrobial resistant infections, who cannot be dosed with oral capsules, such as intubated patients in the ICU.
SER-155 is being developed for patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants (allo-HSCT), a population that is particularly susceptible to severe infections due to prolonged immunosuppression. In a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 1b study evaluating SER-155 in this patient population, SER-155 reduced bacterial BSIs by 77% compared to placebo and significantly lowered systemic antibiotic use and febrile neutropenia. The Company recently received constructive FDA feedback on the design of a well-powered, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study and is finalizing the clinical protocol.
“We have deeply appreciated CARB-X’s long-standing partnership with Seres in advancing the SER-155 program and are grateful for their continued support.”
“We have been encouraged by the compelling SER-155 clinical data to date, including data showing the potential of SER-155 to reduce the frequency of BSIs and also lessen reliance on antibiotics in allo-HSCT patients. Developing a liquid formulation will improve accessibility for patients who cannot take capsules, such as those in intensive care, providing an opportunity to potentially broaden impact of the program in additional patient populations at high risk of BSIs and AMR infections.”
said Matthew Henn, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer
“CARB-X is pleased to continue supporting Seres in the development of SER-155,” said Kevin Outterson, Executive Director of CARB-X. “The program represents an innovative approach to preventing serious bacterial infections in high-risk patients. Developing a liquid formulation could help expand access for those who cannot take capsules, which is an important consideration in the ICU patient population.”
About CARB-X
CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) is a global non-profit partnership dedicated to supporting early-stage antibacterial research and development to address the rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria. CARB-X supports innovative therapeutics, preventatives and rapid diagnostics. CARB-X is led by Boston University and funded by a consortium of governments and foundations. CARB-X funds only projects that target the most serious, resistant bacteria identified on global priority lists, syndromes with the greatest global morbidity and mortality, and performance characteristics necessary for patients. Website: www.carb-x.org/ | X (formerly Twitter) @CARB_X
About Seres Therapeutics
Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRB) is a clinical-stage company focused on improving patient outcomes in medically vulnerable populations through novel live biotherapeutics. Seres led the successful development and approval of VOWST™, the first FDA-approved orally administered microbiome therapeutic, which was sold to Nestlé Health Science in September 2024. The Company is developing SER-155, which has received Breakthrough Therapy designation for the reduction of bloodstream infections in adults undergoing allo-HSCT and Fast Track designation for reducing the risk of infection and graft-versus-host disease in adults undergoing allo-HSCT, and which has demonstrated a significant reduction in bloodstream infections and related complications (as compared to placebo) in a Phase 1b clinical study in patients undergoing allo-HSCT. SER-155 and the Company’s other pipeline programs are designed to target multiple disease-relevant pathways and are manufactured from standard clonal cell banks via cultivation, rather than from the donor-sourced production process used for VOWST. In addition to allo-HSCT, the Company intends to evaluate SER-155 and other cultivated live biotherapeutic candidates in other medically vulnerable patient populations including autologous-HSCT patients, cancer patients with neutropenia, CAR-T recipients, individuals with chronic liver disease, solid organ transplant recipients, as well as patients in the intensive care unit and long-term acute care facilities. For more information, please visit www.serestherapeutics.com.