Derm-Biome and TransBIOtech Awarded $450,000 ARD Grant Funding for Inflammatory Disease and Skin Aging Research

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Derm-Biome Pharmaceuticals recently announced with its partner, TransBIOtech, that the companies have been awarded an Applied Research and Development (ARD) grant from the College and Community Innovation program of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.¹

The $450,000 grant will span 3 years and will support Derm-Biome's research focus on inflammatory skin diseases and aging skin.

Founded in 2018, Derm-Biome is a Vancouver-based preclinical biopharmaceutical company developing topical treatments for various inflammatory skin diseases, precancerous skin conditions, and non-melanoma skin cancers.

“We are very pleased to have been awarded this Applied Research and Development grant and very much look forward to our continued working relationship with TransBIOtech in helping advance our exciting preclinical pipeline,” said Gordon Eberwein, chief executive officer of Derm-Biome, in the news release.

Frédéric Couture, principal investigator (PI) and the head of pharmaceutical sciences at TransBIOtech added, “This is very exciting news. We are happy to pursue this collaboration with Derm-Biome and help them propel their pipeline closer to new treatments. I believe that, along with co-PIs Dr. Sarah Paris-Robidas and Dr. Carole-Ann Huppé, our expertise in preclinical pharmacology in synergy with Derm-Biome’s scientific team will accelerate future efficacy validation of their products and provide them with the key demonstrations needed for upcoming clinical trial applications.”

Derm-Biome is currently developing DB-007-04 for the treatment of acne, rosacea, atopic dermatitis, and aging skin.²

According to Derm-Biome, in preclinical trials and animal models, DB-007-04 inhibits C. acnes in acne, improves disease and itch scores in atopic dermatitis, and inhibits IL-17A and IL-17E to improve the health of aging skin.

Derm-Biome is also developing DB-006 for the treatment of precancerous skin conditions such as actinic keratosis and skin cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma.

In April 2024, Derm-Biome announced the results a UV-induced skin cancer trial where mice were exposed to UVB radiation over 25 weeks. Prolonged exposure to UVB mimics chronic sun exposure over time and replicates the gradual progression from precancerous skin conditions to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Topical application of Derm-Biome’s DB-006 compound prior to UVB exposure significantly reduced the number and size of precancer lesions, while treatment blocked the progression of squamous cell carcinoma tumors. Derm-Biomes expects to start topical formulation development of DB-006 in the summer of 2024, with Investigator New Drug Application-enabling studies planned to begin in the fourth quarter of 2024.³

References

1. Derm-Biome Pharmaceuticals and TransBIOtech awarded $450,000 Applied Research and Development (ARD) grant funding. News release. GlobeNewswire. May 8, 2024. Accessed May 8, 2024. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/05/08/2877949/0/en/Derm-Biome-Pharmaceuticals-and-TransBIOtech-awarded-450-000-Applied-Research-and-Development-ARD-grant-funding.html
2. Skin conditions. Derm-Biome Pharmaceuticals. Accessed May 8, 2024. https://derm-biomepharmaceuticals.com/en/
3. Derm-Biome Pharmaceuticals’ topical therapy shows positive results in preclinical skin cancer trial: drug prevents the development of precancerous skin conditions and treats existing skin cancers with no observable side effects. News release. Derm-Biome. April 17, 2024. Accessed May 8, 2024. https://derm-biomepharmaceuticals.com/en/derm-biome-pharmaceuticals-topical-therapy-shows-positive-results-in-preclinical-skin-cancer-trial-drug-prevents-the-development-of-precancerous-skin-conditions-and/