PureTech's Vedanta Biosciences enrols first patient in food allergy treatment study

Biopharmaceutical company PureTech Health noted on Monday that its affiliate Vedanta Biosciences had enrolled the first patient in the phase 1b and 2 clinical study of ‘VE416’.

The London-listed firm, which founded Vedanta Biosciences, said VE416 was the company's live biotherapeutic product candidate for food allergies.

It was produced from pure, clonal bacterial cell banks, which yielded a drug product of uniform and pathogen-free composition in powdered form, bypassing the need to rely on faecal donor material.

The company explained that the study, which was being conducted at MassGeneral Hospital for Children, would enrol 40 patients who were 12 years of age and older with a history of peanut allergy to explore VE416 both as a monotherapy, and in combination with an oral peanut immunotherapy, over the course of several months.

It said the primary endpoints of the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial were the safety of VE416 and the amount of peanut protein tolerated.

“Scientific evidence is mounting that microbiota in the gut play an important role in food allergies,” said PureTech Health chief scientific officer Joseph Bolen.

“This study will be an important milestone as we seek to desensitise patients to allergens by modulating their microbiomes with a rationally defined live biotherapeutic product.

“We're excited both for Vedanta Biosciences and for the many people with food allergies who need new treatment options.”