Prokarium Secures $5.6M Funding to Advance Oral Typhoid Vaccine Entervax

On October 11, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that biotechnology company Prokarium announced the completion of a $5.6 million financing round (the specific round was not disclosed). The investor in this round was the Wellcome Trust.

Upon completion of this round of financing, Prokarium will conduct Phase I clinical trials of its enteric fever vaccine, Entervax. The trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study primarily designed to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine.

Prokarium has completed five rounds of financing, totaling $26.6 million. The company closed a $10 million Series A round in February 2018 and an $8 million seed round in January 2012.

Preatrium has developed Entervax, a bivalent vaccine against enteric fever, based on its Vaxonella genetically engineered bacterial technology platform. The vaccine is formulated as capsules or sachets and is primarily administered orally, offering good patient compliance. Currently, Entervax has undergone clinical trials in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam.

Enteric fever, primarily caused by *Salmonella* Typhi, is the most common bacterial bloodstream infection in South Asia and causes significant morbidity and mortality in areas with poor sanitation. *Salmonella* Typhi is a major pathogen causing acute gastroenteritis, with infected patients typically presenting with clinical symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. It is estimated that more than 15 million people worldwide suffer from *Salmonella* Typhi infections annually, resulting in approximately 153,000 deaths.

Prokarium, a biotechnology company founded in 2012 and headquartered in London, UK, is dedicated to researching microbial immunotherapy and developing novel vaccines for infectious diseases, thereby contributing to human health.

All members of Prokarium’s research team are experts in the fields of synthetic biology and immunology, dedicated to developing technology platforms for the prevention of infectious diseases and the treatment of solid tumors. In addition to Entervax, Prokarium is developing microbial immunotherapies for solid tumors and has engineered oral vaccines against Chlamydia trachomatis and Yersinia pestis.

Ted Fjallman, CEO of Prokarium, stated, “Entervax has achieved the expected outcomes in both preclinical studies and several clinical trials. We will continue to develop other oral vaccines for enteric fever to help high-risk populations in epidemic areas prevent and treat infectious diseases.”

Sally Nicholas, a partner at Wellcome Trust, stated, “We are delighted to establish a long-term partnership with biotechnology companies like Prokarium. Wellcome Trust will continue to provide financial support to contribute to human health.”

Wellcome Trust, established in 1936 and headquartered in London, UK, is a venture capital and private equity firm. The organization primarily invests in the biotechnology and healthcare sectors to safeguard human and animal health. As the UK’s largest non-profit funder of biomedical research, Wellcome Trust is dedicated to improving human health.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)