Micreos Secures €30 Million to Advance Endolysin-Based Alternatives to Antibiotics for Bacterial Skin Conditions

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) recently learned that Dutch biotechnology company Micreos has announced the completion of a €30 million financing round. Part of the proceeds will be used to improve its intralysin technology, while the remainder will support the commercial rollout of its product Gladskin in the United States. Since its establishment in 2006, Micreos has raised a total of €42 million, having previously completed a €12 million angel round in 2016.

Micreos is a biotechnology company headquartered in Wageningen, the Netherlands. The company has established partnerships with numerous medical institutions, including public health laboratories, the Dutch Burns Centre, and the University of Copenhagen. In addition to Gladskin for skin inflammation, Micreos has developed Phageguard against Listeria. This product has currently received FDA approval.

In the past, medical personnel excessively used antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial diseases. This has led to two problems:

1. Antibiotics do not distinguish between beneficial and harmful bacteria in the body, killing them both when administered;

2. Some bacteria develop drug resistance, leading to a dilemma where certain diseases become untreatable.

Micreos has developed a new drug that can effectively prevent this issue. Reportedly, the inspiration for the new drug came from a virus found in nature, which uses an enzyme called “endolysin” to attack bacteria by breaking down their cell walls. Researchers have “engineered” this enzyme to enhance its adhesion and destructive power against MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

Intracellular lysins possess three characteristics:

1. Selectively eliminates harmful bacteria while preserving beneficial ones;

2. Capable of killing antibiotic-resistant bacteria;

3. Bacteria do not develop resistance to endolysins.

Micreos’s Staphefekt™ SA.100 is the world’s first endolysin approved for human use. It effectively kills MRSA (Staphylococcus aureus), a bacterium that is a primary trigger for eczema, acne, psoriasis, and other inflammatory skin conditions. Staphefekt™ SA.100 is marketed globally under the brand name Gladskin.

Gladskin Product Image (Source: Gladskin Official Website)

Skyler Stein, head of Gladskin, stated: “Since its launch, Gladskin has helped more than 100,000 patients with eczema, acne, and rosacea, and it was rated as one of the most influential innovative products in Europe in 2018.”

Micreos CEO Mark Offerhaus stated, “This investment will help the company further refine its intracellular lysin technology and accelerate its commercialization, bringing significant benefits to countless patients.”

Reference Link:

https://www.micreos.com/

https://www.gladskin.com/nl/

http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/science/endolysin-technology-looks-set-to-replace-antibiotics/article/546533

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/micreos-raises-30-million-for-endolysin-technology-set-to-replace-antibiotics-300820774.html

(Compiled by: Yang Shaobo)