After more than a decade leading microbiome drug research, Vedanta Biosciences is cutting 20% of its workforce following a failed Phase 2 trial of its IBD therapy VE202.
CEO Bernat Olle admitted the results were humbling — the drug showed no significant benefit over placebo for ulcerative colitis. While this setback mirrors earlier failures from peers like Seres Therapeutics, Olle insists every study provides data that can guide the field forward.
Vedanta will now shift focus to areas where microbiome therapies are proving viable — most notably its Phase 3 drug VE303 for recurrent C. diff infections. With over $300M raised and PureTech’s stake now at 4.2%, the startup is betting on its “next-gen” approach of defined bacterial strains over donor stool samples.