Originally, SkinBioTherapeutics’ CEO Dr Cath O’Neill worked in the field of gastroenterology, investigating the effect of probiotics on the intestinal barrier function, an area which had already seen significant commercial success through health foods and yoghurt drinks.
But after working with a group of dermatologists in her university lab she wondered whether probiotics could also be used to promote skin health by applying them directly to skin. “It wasn’t quite a lightbulb moment, but it felt natural to ask the question; whether probiotics could be used topically,” said O’Neill.
The idea began as an academic project at the University of Manchester. Researchers, led by O’Neill and Professor Andrew McBain, identified a probiotic extract capable of not only strengthening the barrier effect of skin models, but also improving repair and reducing bacterial load.
Today, this discovery has grown into SkinBioTherapeutics, a UK-based, AIM-listed life science company looking to harness the power of the human microbiome - the collective name given to the genetic material of the trillions of microbes that live in and on the body - to promote skin health.
The team first screened various strains of probiotics for efficacy in skin, using real human skin obtained from plastic surgeons from elective procedures as their model. They decided to use a dead probiotic extract to allay concerns about putting live micro-organisms onto potentially compromised skin, and for ease of formulation.
They managed to find a particular organism that had “some amazing effects” on the skin model. “This organism enhances the barrier function of the skin. You may not think of the skin as a barrier, but it is in fact a major interface between the body and the outside world, which is quite a dangerous place,” said O’Neill. “It stops nasty disease-causing bacteria from sticking to the skin and thus protects against infection whilst also encouraging wound healing.”
The study of the human microbiome and its interaction with the skin is in its infancy. However, this has not stopped companies using claims of enhanced microbiome function in skincare products for a number of years. O’Neill speculates that this is purely as a marketing tool.
“There have been very few studies as to the efficacy of whichever bacterium these companies are using, so the products don’t actually have any proven probiotic claims. That’s why SkinBioTherapeutics is different; we’re doing it the right way around.” All its data is underpinned by robust research published in peer-reviewed scientific publications, a feature that O’Neill remarks is “quite unusual” in the cosmetics industry.
The technology has a number of applications, but the company is currently focusing on three application types for its technology, SkinBiotix®. First to market will be the cosmetic, which will be targeted towards sensitive skin.
Because the probiotic is so good at inhibiting disease-causing bacteria, or pathogens, it is also useful as an anti-infective agent, particularly in healthcare acquired infections; a particular problem in hospitals. Finally, with eczema therapy, there is room in the market place for a new therapeutic as 20% of the paediatric population in the Western world live with eczema.
“We’re committed to taking all three concepts into human studies. Cosmetic products have a lower regulatory threshold, so we can move quite quickly there,” said O’Neill. “We have already passed our safety tests and have a human study planned for later in the year. The anti-infective and eczema applications have higher regulatory requirements, so development will take a little longer.”
Taking SkinBioTherapeutics to an initial public offering (IPO) has taken some of the financial pressure off, allowing it to focus on research, at the same time as raising the company’s profile. It won’t be commercialising the technology itself; instead, performing proof of concept studies and then the plan is to partner with larger organisations.
Protecting the intellectual property around its technology is key. SkinBioTherapeutics has been granted three patents, with another 15 at various stages of assessment.
For O’Neill, the experience of a public listing has been enlightening: “It has meant I have had to spend a lot of time in London, but once you are listed, you can tap into that thriving City network. The business ecosystem in the North West is very supportive also, through a great organisation called Bionow.”
At her core, however, O’Neill remains a scientist. “Some companies have created a product and are now going back to run clinical studies. We started from absolute grassroots, basic science and are working our way up to human studies. We are very much founded on robust data; it’s our USP. Maybe it’s my academic brain, but I can only work in that direction.”
Scientific and business progress on track
OctOber 2017: SkinBioTherapeutics plc, a life science company focused on skin health, passes third party cellular toxicity tests for its proprietary SkinBiotix® technology, confirming previous in-house observations on its safety and applicability.
April 2018: The company announces the signing of a material transfer agreement (MTA) with a major, global consumer goods company. “Whilst these are early discussions, we are encouraged that a company of this calibre wants to look at our technology more closely through an MTA,” said Dr Cath O’Neill. “Even at this early stage of its development, we are pleased to see that SkinBiotix® is starting to generate a buzz in the skin care industry.”
May 2018: Design of the human study planned for the third-quarter this year is finalised. It will be conducted independently by Alba Science Limited, a clinical research organisation based in Edinburgh, which has many years of experience in the field of cosmetic testing. In addition, a new method of manufacture that is scalable has been successfully trialled and results indicate no detrimental impact upon the active properties of the SkinBiotix® technology.
This article appeared in FutureNorth's 'Life Sciences Edition' in The Times, 26 June 2018. See more online here and download a PDF here.