Skin-gut axis: SkinBioTherapeutics and Winclove partner on probiotics to treat psoriasis

20 Feb 2020 --- Tapping into the skin-gut axis, UK-based AxisBiotix, a subsidiary of SkinBioTherapeutics, has made an agreement with Dutch company Winclove Probiotics to develop and manufacture a probiotic food supplement to help manage symptoms of mild-medium psoriasis. The companies will design and develop good bacterial strains based on the modifying properties of specific bacterial species on known psoriasis disease pathways. The move indicates a larger trend of looking to the microbiome for a range of ailments from cognition to skincare.

“There is strong scientific evidence pointing to a link between gut dysfunction, stress-induced alterations to the gut microbiome and skin inflammation,” says Stuart Ashman, CEO of SkinBioTherapeutics.

Indeed, ADM released clinical data affirming the safety and efficacy of a blend of probiotics when used as a coadjutant therapy to alleviate symptoms in psoriasis patients last year.

The new blend will be developed into a probiotic food supplement that will be called AxisBiotix. SkinBioTherapeutics will be responsible for the identification and selection of the bacterial strains and patient testing; Winclove will be responsible for the formulation and manufacture of AxisBiotix. The development agreement is for a period of three years but can be extended by mutual agreement. Each party retains ownership of its respective intellectual property and will be responsible for their own costs in relation to the development program.

“We believe that in this partnership with Winclove we can create a specific probiotic food supplement that has the potential to help manage the hard-to-treat symptoms of psoriasis,” adds Ashman.

Worldwide, approximately two percent of the population is believed to suffer from the condition, which to-date, has no cure.

Probiotics may help relieve symptoms of psoriasis.Psoriasis is a debilitating skin condition caused by a malfunction of the immune system whereby skin cells are replaced more quickly than normal. This causes an accumulation of skin cells which build up to form raised “plaques” on the skin, which can also be flaky, scaly and itchy.Current therapies for the skin condition tend to be steroid-based, which cannot be used long-term and have side effects. Those managing the condition may also try altering dietary habits such as reducing alcohol intake or supplementing with omega 3s and vitamin D, which were found in a US study to alleviate some symptoms. 

Backed by research
As a prerequisite to commercialization, AxisBiotix will be tested in a UK human study for patients suffering from mild to moderate psoriasis. The study, to be managed by SkinBioTherapeutics, is expected to start in 2020 and is estimated to take approximately 12-18 months to complete. On the basis of a positive read-out, SkinBioTherapeutics will then proceed with commercialization and the parties have stated their intention for a commercial launch within 24 months of the completed development program.

Meanwhile, a newly found probiotic strain found on an organic green tea variety from South Korea is being explored for use healthy impact on skin. Amorepacific, the company that is studying the strain, found in its research that the probiotic from green tea leaves helps prevent gut inflammation. 

Moreover, a study from the University of British Columbia (UBC), in Canada found that skin exposure to sunlight – specifically type B ultraviolet light (UVB) – can alter the gut microbiome in humans.

By Missy Green