New hope in the fight against antimicrobial resistance

By Peter Thøgersen, Health Policy Consultant, and Jonas Skov Korsgaard, Political Consultant, Pharmadanmark

A milestone loan for SNIPR Biome

SNIPR Biome had previously engaged with the European Investment Bank (EIB) in its search for funding to advance the development of its innovative CRISPR-based medicines. At the time, however, support was out of reach, as the EIB only provided loans to companies at later stages of development.

The designation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a strategic focus area for the EU’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) has now made it possible. The process was still challenging and took nearly a year, as the EIB applies a very thorough evaluation process to ensure funding goes to the right development projects. Only 1-2% succeed in securing capital from the EIB.

The funding is essentially a venture loan with a very long maturity, to be repaid with interest if the company succeeds. The loan is guaranteed by European taxpayers, and the “interest” helps cover investments that do not pay for themselves.

Christian Grøndahl shares more about the significance of the loan and its purpose:

“The loan will primarily go to developing our most experimental drug candidate, SNIPR001, which kills E. coli but no other bacteria. The medicine therefore does not destroy the patient’s microbiome, since beneficial bacteria are not affected, and it thus has far fewer side effects than traditional antimicrobial drugs. We have just begun Phase 2A studies with hematology cancer patients in the US and expect data from this trial by mid-2026. In addition, the loan enables us to develop new AMR drugs targeting other life-threatening infections with high resistance rates, such as Klebsiella and Pseudomonas, which can cause pneumonia.”

Dedication is essential

When SNIPR Biome was founded, the company focused solely on developing new antimicrobial medicines but has since been forced to change strategy.

“The AMR field is a very challenging business area to work in, as it is extremely difficult to secure financing. We have therefore had to broaden our focus to the role of the microbiome in disease development and how CRISPR technology can be used to develop microbial gene therapies – using bacteria to produce active substances inside the body,” says Christian Grøndahl.

“This would essentially be a beneficial infection, where bacteria are coded to produce, for example, antibodies that can treat colorectal cancer and more. It’s somewhat comparable to probiotic bacteria, which are also beneficial for the body. The method has the advantage of being significantly cheaper than traditional production of biologic medicines, while also providing better bioavailability, since the active substance is produced inside the body where it is needed.”

At present, SNIPR Biome is much further along in developing new antimicrobial medicines than microbial gene therapies, but they are pursuing both strategies:

“AMR is a passion of mine and an area of great societal importance. But to secure the company’s future, we need a dual-track strategy. Put simply, developing new antimicrobials depends on us also pursuing other therapeutic areas to ensure a sustainable business model.”

A paradigm shift ahead

Even though AMR is a difficult therapeutic area to research, it remains close to Christian Grøndahl’s heart. He believes – and hopes – that the tide is turning:

“As things stand, it’s very hard to get financing because of a general perception that antimicrobial drugs are not profitable, and a misconception that multidrug-resistant infections are by default too difficult to treat. Our technology demonstrates that it is indeed possible to treat resistant infections in a relatively simple way when the right technology is applied. I also believe it is possible to build a sustainable business around antimicrobial drugs targeting resistant infections. These drugs are used for very ill patients and therefore hold great value – both for the individual and society. Venture funds just haven’t realized this yet, but we are currently backed by a strong investor base, including our first investor, the Lundbeck Foundation.”

“It’s important to change the narrative: this is not a standard antibiotic meant to be sold cheaply to a mass market. This is life-saving treatment for critically ill patients – and therefore a sound business case, on par with orphan drugs and innovative cancer medicines.”

Grøndahl strongly believes that in a few years, awareness of AMR as a serious challenge will grow:

“Hospital-acquired infections are on the rise and can shut down entire wards – for instance, in burn units or among transplant patients. The world’s major foundations, such as the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Wellcome Trust, already take the AMR challenge very seriously. The Gates Foundation focuses on the microbiome, tuberculosis, and infectious diseases more broadly. I expect that other investors will follow – we already see interest from pension and insurance funds. Two key drivers for this are: oncologists and other specialists recognizing the importance of having effective antimicrobial treatments available, and patient organizations speaking up about how much AMR affects their members. That can put AMR on the public agenda and push policymakers into action.”

Broad collaboration is crucial

SNIPR Biome collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders on the development of its drug candidates across several therapeutic areas. Regarding AMR, the company is establishing a major collaboration with the German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIN-D), using CRISPR technology to treat patient populations before they become ill – specifically carriers of resistant genes.

The goal is to remove resistant genes from bacteria so that they can once again be treated with existing antibiotics.

Christian concludes by highlighting the Danish AMR Alliance, co-founded by Pharmadanmark together with the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Pfizer Denmark:

“I believe Denmark can become a leader in AMR, as the alliance brings together all relevant stakeholders. Denmark can be the hub and take responsibility for establishing a European alliance. Denmark is a leading Life Science nation, which also obliges us to take on a global responsibility and contribute to solving the challenge of AMR.”