U.K.-based Microbiotica has raised £36 million (€43 million) in the first close of its Series C financing round, led by the British Business Bank, to advance MB310, its investigational microbiome therapy for ulcerative colitis (UC), into Phase 2. Other investors include Tencent, IP Group, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Flerie Invest and Seventure Partners, alongside existing Series B investors.
MB310 is a once-daily capsule containing eight live bacterial strains selected from research into fecal microbiota transplantation. The therapy is designed to establish beneficial bacteria in the gut and potentially support remission without directly suppressing the immune system.
In the Phase 1b COMPOSER-1 study involving 29 adults with mild-to-moderate UC, 12 of 19 patients receiving MB310 achieved clinical remission, compared with three of 10 receiving placebo. The study met its primary safety objective, and researchers reported that the bacterial strains began colonizing patients’ guts within the first week and persisted through three months of follow-up. However, remission was assessed using the partial Mayo score, which does not include endoscopic findings.