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June 29, 2017 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Synspira, a privately held company developing a new class of glycopolymer-based therapeutics for pulmonary disease, today announced it has secured $8 million in funding from a private investor that will be used to advance a Phase 1 first-in-humans safety study of SNSP113 and has appointed a founding Board of Directors.

Synspira was founded in early 2017 to develop inhaled therapies for pulmonary diseases, such as cystic fibrosis (CF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia through an exclusive field license to Synedgen’s Glycomics Technology Platform and their related pulmonary delivery assets. The unique characteristics of Synspira’s proprietary modified polysaccharide agents have the potential to address a major unmet need associated with these pulmonary disorders, the chronic infection and related inflammation which often lead to exacerbations, hospitalizations and ultimately irreversible lung function decline.

“Our goal at Synspira is to deliver on the promise that our technology holds for addressing one of the most intractable challenges facing patients with pulmonary diseases, recalcitrant chronic infections and the resulting inflammation,” said Shenda Baker, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Synspira. “We believe SNSP113’s unique attributes represent a potentially important new therapeutic approach and could dramatically improve the lives of patients living with cystic fibrosis, the lead indication we are studying.”

Synspira’s lead program, SNSP113, is an inhaled glycopolymeric agent designed for treating exacerbations and infections related to cystic fibrosis. SNSP113 has been shown pre-clinically to dramatically reduce viability of a broad range of antibiotic-resistant bacteria including the highly virulent Burkholderia cepacia. Critically for CF patients, SNSP113 appears to disrupt the invading bacteria’s protective biofilm and reduce the accumulated thick mucus’ viscosity, thereby facilitating clearance from the lungs. Also, when tested pre-clinically in combination with approved antibiotics, SNSP113 has been shown to significantly enhance their potency.

“The buildup of thick mucus in the lungs and the resultant bacterial infection is a hallmark of cystic fibrosis and is the cause of the lung damage which results in premature death,” said Prof. Stuart Elborn, CBE, M.D., Professor of Respiratory Medicine, and Centre Director for Specialist Adult Cystic Fibrosis, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK. “By directly disrupting this mucus accumulation and the related bacterial biofilm, Synspira is taking a completely novel approach to treating this debilitating and life-shortening disease. New treatment options such as this are needed to help alleviate the burden of CF on thousands of patients around the world.”

Synspira also announced the appointment of William Wiesmann, M.D., as Synspira’s Chairman of the Board. Dr. Baker, Andrew W. Miller, President and CEO of Stimson Lumber Company and Glenn Batchelder, Executive Chairman of XyloCor Therapeutics, will join Dr. Wiesmann on Synspira’s founding Board of Directors.

“The launch of Synspira represents a significant milestone in realizing our vision for improving the lives of patients living with pulmonary diseases by leveraging Synedgen’s Glycomics Technology Platform,” said Dr. Wiesmann. “Synspira is sharply focused on developing important new inhaled glycopolymer therapies for pulmonary disease and will be initiating a Phase 1 clinical trial for SNSP113 early in 2018. We also look forward to exploring additional indications such as pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease where the formation of biofilm is a key driver of pulmonary decline.”

About Synspira

Synspira Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with cystic fibrosis and other rare diseases where there is a high unmet treatment need. Synspira is a privately held company headquartered in Framingham, MA. Our lead product, SNSP113, is a first-of-its-kind product with a broad-spectrum mechanism of action designed to target the underlying cascade of events that lead to progressive pulmonary disease or other life-threatening pulmonary conditions. At Synspira we are inspired by the patients we serve and are driven to make a difference.

About SNSP-113

The company’s lead product, SNSP113, is a first-in-class inhaled glycochemistry-based therapeutic with a broad spectrum mechanism of action intended to target the underlying cascade of events that lead to progressive pulmonary disease or other life-threatening pulmonary conditions, such as nontuberculous Mycobacteria(NTM), Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC), Pseudomonas aeruginosaor methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA). SNSP113 is designed to normalize mucin viscosity and improve mucus transport to increase airway clearance. SNSP113 disrupts the cohesion of bacterial biofilms and interacts with the cell walls of invading bacteria to increase their permeability, reduce their viability and potentiate the efficacy of antibiotics. These actions of SNSP113 lead to a reduction in the inflammatory cascade of neutrophils that can lead to pulmonary damage and fibrosis.  Progressive pulmonary disease leads to overwhelming symptoms, impacts quality of life (QoL) and results in debilitating progressive lung decline. Synspira is expected to initiate SNSP113 Phase 2 trials in 2019.

About Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening genetic disorder that results in the accumulation of thick, sticky mucus in the lungs, clogging airways and leading to infection and chronic inflammation. Moreover, because of the inability to clear the airways, bacteria colonize and form biofilms that are difficult for antibiotics to penetrate. More than 30,000 people in the United States, and a similar number in Europe, live with Cystic Fibrosis1.