Lumen Bioscience today announced clinical development progress for LMN-201, an investigational orally delivered cocktail to treat and prevent C. difficile infection (CDI).
| — FDA clearance of investigational new drug (IND) application — Initiation of multisite Phase 2 study in spring 2022 — Phase 1 pharmacokinetic study completed SEATTLE, April 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumen Bioscience, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing biologic drugs for highly prevalent diseases, today announced clinical development progress for LMN-201, an investigational orally delivered cocktail to treat and prevent C. difficile infection (CDI). Achievements include FDA clearance of a planned Phase 2 study of LMN-201 and successful completion of a Phase 1 first-in-human study, which validated drug delivery of enteric capsules into the gut.
LMN-201 combines four therapeutic proteins—manufactured and orally delivered in the edible microorganism spirulina—that work synergistically to neutralize both the C. difficile bacterium and the toxin that causes its virulence. LMN-201 is the world’s first complex biologic cocktail to enter human clinical trials and represents a significant advance in the field of polypharmacology. Lumen recently published its pre-clinical data on LMN-201 on bioRxiv, pending peer review. “We are excited to mark these clinical milestones for LMN-201 and advance the development of a candidate that offers the potential to impact recurrent CDI, a major health problem worldwide,” said Dr. Carl Mason, Lumen’s head of clinical research. “Lumen’s platform enables this novel approach of combining multiple therapeutic proteins into a single, low-cost, easily distributed and administered therapeutic. We are eager to advance LMN-201 into later stage clinical development.” The Phase 2 trial (NCT05330182) will begin enrolling approximately 375 patients at sites across the United States. Physicians interested in participating are encouraged to contact Lumen’s clinical operations team at trials@lumen.bio. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study will evaluate the efficacy of LMN-201 in participants recently diagnosed with CDI receiving standard-of-care antibiotics. The primary goal of the Phase 1 study of LMN-201 recently completed in Australia was to confirm the dissolution kinetics of enteric capsules designed to release LMN-201’s therapeutic proteins at or before the terminal ileum, where C. difficile becomes established in most patients. The trial met its primary endpoint, indicating the capsules can successfully deliver LMN-201 where needed. Initial analysis also confirmed the therapeutic proteins were bioactive upon release and demonstrated robust stability against gastrointestinal protease digestion over time, meeting the exploratory endpoints. Lumen plans to publish full study results in a peer-reviewed journal after complete data analysis. About C. difficile infection About LMN-201 To facilitate accessibility to the broadest possible patient population, these monoclonal proteins are expressed and delivered within whole spirulina biomass, a type of blue-green algae widely consumed as a nutritional supplement that Lumen has repurposed as a GMP biomanufacturing host as described in Lumen’s recent paper in Nature Biotechnology. All four therapeutic proteins do their work without perturbing the patient’s healthy GI microbiome. There has always been a certain illogic in using antibiotics to treat C. difficile infection, which is usually caused by prior antibiotic damage to the GI microbiome. Rather than treating CDI, which in most patients is easily cleared with generic antibiotics, therefore, LMN-201’s primary purpose is to be delivered alongside and for a short period after antibiotics to prevent future bouts with CDI, a common side effect of antibiotics. Lumen recently published its pre-clinical data on LMN-201 on bioRxiv, pending peer review. About Lumen Media Contact:
SOURCE Lumen Bioscience |
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