Biotechnology firm 4D Pharma hailed the first half of 2021 as a “significant period” for the firm in an interim results update.
The company, which does much of its drug research and development (R&D) in Aberdeen at the Foresterhill campus, highlighted that losses in the half year had quadrupled while R&D expenditure had declined 17%.
Its review, attributed to chairperson Axel Glasmacher and chief executive Duncan Peyton, highlighted the efforts the company was making in a growing health field addressing the microbiome, which is made up of the trillions of microorganisms and their genetic material that live in the intestinal tract.
It said: “As accumulating evidence points towards the gut-brain axis and the role of the microbiome in conditions of the central nervous system (CNS), we are excited to continue to push forward in this field.”
4D Pharma has a number of candidates using live biotherapeutics in various trial stages in the pipeline, including treatments for asthma, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and pancreatic cancer.
It initially grew out of GT Biologics, a spinout of Aberdeen University’s Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health.
The company, whose head office is in Leeds, is also a pioneer in expanding its funding opportunities in the US through use of a “special purpose acquisition company” (spac).
It achieved a listing on the technology-friendly Nasdaq stock exchange in New York in March when it merged with the listed spac, Longevity Acquisition.
Highlighting some mixed results, including some “unusually high placebo response” rates in trials of its key drug for IBS, the company statement added: “Highs and lows in the broader microbiome space have created mixed feelings towards microbiome therapeutic approaches – we are confident 4D pharma’s differentiated, mechanism-driven approach is poised to deliver.”
It added: “The first half of 2021 has been a significant period for 4D pharma.
“Our dual listing on Nasdaq raised our international profile and, using this as a platform along with new funds at our disposal, we look ahead to a period rich in clinical catalysts across our pipeline of live biotherapeutic products taking the microbiome beyond the gut, including clinical readouts and the commencement of new studies across multiple programs.