Symberix Awarded $2 Million from National Institutes of Health to Support Lead Program

Symberix has been awarded the Phase II portion of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Fast-Track grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH Fast-Track application process expedites award decisions and funding of Phase II applications that have a high potential for commercialization by allowing Phase I and Phase II grant applications to be submitted and reviewed together. The $2 million in Phase II grant funding will support preclinical efforts to select and develop a bacteria-targeting, non-antibiotic lead candidate to improve cancer chemotherapy outcomes.

Symberix, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing the first generation of gut microbiome-targeting drugs to treat lower GI disorders. Gut microbes express numerous proteins, including a family of bacterial β-glucuronidase enzymes capable of generating toxic metabolites of many common medications in the lower GI tract. Symberix is developing bacterial β-glucuronidase inhibitors as adjunctive therapy to mitigate drug-induced toxicities and is exploring their use as monotherapy for other lower GI disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Symberix’s internal team and external advisors have a deep understanding of the biology of the gut microbiome, and extensive drug discovery and clinical development experience.