LNC Therapeutics has deployed a research platform focused exclusively on its gut microbiome activities and more precisely on analysis of the therapeutic properties of Christensenella. A team of research scientists will be dedicated to understanding the genus and its role.
The French biotech company specialises in gut microbiome-based drug research and development and its proprietary platform aims to hone the company’s expertise by deepening its knowledge of the mechanisms of action and interactions between Christensenella bacteria and the host.
With the platform, LNC Therapeutics intends to discover new therapeutic applications and to extend its product pipeline. A relatively new genus of interest, only discovered in 2012, the new species was identified and cultivated from human faeces and named Christensenella minuta in honour of microbiologist Henrik Christensen. It is an anaerobic bacterium, one that cannot survive in the presence of oxygen, and culturing it requires specific equipment and skills. Thus a dedicated platform will be greatly helpful to researchers.
“We are delighted to be setting up our own research activities and thereby strengthening LNC Therapeutics’ scientific expertise in gut microbiome and in particular Christensenella bacteria, ” said Sandrine Claus, LNC Therapeutics’ CSO. “Thanks to this new unit, LNC Therapeutics is now in a position to leverage its unique expertise to discover new therapeutic applications of this group of bacteria.”
Reinforcing LNC Therapeutics’ regulatory affairs and clinical teams, the new unit is formed of top-level researchers specialised in microbiology, cellular biology and molecular biology. It is based at the Plateforme Technologique d’Innovation Biomédicale (PTIB) in Bordeaux and is linked to the University of Bordeaux and the Xavier Arnozan hospital. With this substantial backing, the unit aims to enhance and capitalise on biotechnology- and health-related research.
Located at the heart of the university hospital campus, LNC Therapeutics’ platform enables the company to build special ties to a diverse range of academic and clinical teams, forge close patient relationships and gain access to cutting-edge research technologies.
“With the deployment of this new research platform, LNC Therapeutics is now perfectly equipped to pursue its strategy to become a leading player in gut microbiome-based therapies”, summed up Georges Rawadi, CEO of LNC Therapeutics. “We truly believe that Christensenella bacteria hold great therapeutic potential and that they play an essential role in the balance of the gut microbiome. We look forward to accelerating our research in this area to develop new applications for human health. To this end, our aim is to launch solutions as quickly as possible for patients suffering from serious illnesses for which there are no treatments available today.”
Patents
In late March, LNC granted the Cornell University (Ithaca, New-York, USA) a patent relating to Christensenella bacteria. This patent granted by the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office), and covering the therapeutic applications of this group of bacteria, was the first of its kind worldwide. It follows LNC Therapeutics’ acquisition from Cornell University in October 2018. Thereafter, LNC Therapeutics holds the exclusive and worldwide exploitation, manufacturing and marketing rights on therapeutic products based on its own bacterial strains relating to its christensenella patent family, for the treatment of obesity, metabolic diseases and other serious indications with significant unmet medical needs.