Second Genome entered a partnership with the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine to develop therapeutic products for multiple disease indications, starting with inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic disorders, and colorectal cancer.
Second Genome will deploy its microbiome discovery platform to identify biological pathways implicated in disease. The platform will be utilized to discover therapies that target these microbiome-mediated pathways. The company said it plans to identify up to eight clinical indications where the microbiome has a potential role in disease and will collaborate on research with Mayo Clinic investigators who specialize in each of the designated disease areas. Mayo Clinic will provide clinical samples from patients in targeted disease areas and make an undisclosed equity investment in Second Genome as part of the collaboration.
The collaboration strengthens Second Genome’s current drug discovery programs in inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic disease, while supporting the company’s move into new areas such as colorectal cancer, the company said.
In May, Second Genome and Pfizer teamed up to investigate the inter-relationship between the microbiome, obesity, and metabolic disorders. The study aimed to evaluate different clinical factors and the microbiome in a select cohort of around 900 individuals with different metabolic phenotypes.
