Finch secures $53m to advance microbiome therapies for CDI, Autism

Finch Therapeutics, a US microbiome therapeutics company, has raised $53 million through a Series C financing round to advance its pipeline of microbial therapies, as per the latest pharma industry news.

In addition to existing investors Avenir Growth Capital, Morgan Noble, Shumway Capital, and Willett Advisors, the funding for the US microbiome therapeutics company has come from new investors OCV Partners, Susquehanna International, Symbiosis and the Trans-Pacific Technology Fund.

The microbial therapies pipeline of Finch Therapeutics includes CP101, a Full-Spectrum Microbiota (FSM) therapy.

Currently being evaluated for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) prevention, CP101 is delivered in an oral capsule designed to contain a diverse microbiota community and restore a balanced microbiome.

Finch Therapeutics raises $53m to advance microbiome therapies for CDI, Autism. Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles/Freedigitalphotos.net.

Finch Therapeutics will also accelerate the development of its FSM therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through the funding. The US pharma company is supporting an actively enrolling, phase 2 clinical trial – NCT03408886, which will assess the safety and efficacy of the FSM therapy in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Finch Therapeutics holds an FDA Fast Track designation for its pediatric program for Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The US microbiome therapeutics company is also partnering with Japanese pharma giant Takeda Pharmaceuticals to develop new microbiome therapeutics like Rationally-Selected Microbiota (RSM) for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Mark Smith – CEO of Finch Therapeutics, commenting on the new funding for developing microbiome therapies, said: “We are thrilled that this additional funding, coupled with the recent Breakthrough Therapy designation we received from the FDA, will enable us to accelerate our efforts to provide a new therapy to patients battling recurrent C. difficile,” said Mark Smith, CEO of Finch.

“We also look forward to advancing our investigational therapies for ASD, IBD and other conditions linked to a disrupted microbiome.”

Clostridium difficile infection is the most common hospital-acquired bacterial infection in the US that causes severe diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress, and more than 500,000 Americans are infected every year.