Bioharmony Therapeutics

Bioharmony Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company established in 2016, with a focus on developing novel therapeutics to combat multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacterial infections. The company was founded by Chandrabali Ghose, Ph.D., who also serves as its CEO. Her background in infectious diseases, including her work on the Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) vaccine program at Rockefeller University's Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, steered her interest toward the university's Acinetobacter program and the emerging lysin technology. The company spun out of Rockefeller University, licensing its core lysin technology in April 2017.

The company's central strategy revolves around the development of lysins, a class of enzymes derived from bacteriophages. These enzymes function by cleaving essential bonds in the bacterial cell wall, leading to the rapid death of the target bacteria. This mechanism is distinct from traditional antibiotics, which typically inhibit DNA, protein, or cell-wall synthesis, and it is believed to be less susceptible to the development of bacterial resistance. Bioharmony's product pipeline targets severe infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, which the World Health Organization has identified as a critical priority pathogen. These infections are often acquired in hospital settings, leading to conditions like pneumonia, and life-threatening blood or wound infections.

Bioharmony's business model is centered on research and development, with a clear path toward commercialization through strategic partnerships. A significant milestone was the establishment of a collaborative research and licensing agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim in January 2019. This partnership aims to advance the development of lysin-based therapies for MDR Acinetobacter infections. While financial terms were not disclosed, the collaboration leverages Boehringer Ingelheim's Research Beyond Borders program to explore this new class of antimicrobials. The company has secured funding through various channels, including a seed round of $100,000 in December 2017 from investors like the Accelerate NY Seed Fund and Catalytic Impact Foundation. The company's lead product candidate, BH01, is a topical lysin being developed for skin infections, particularly in burns. Other candidates in the pipeline include treatments for pneumonia and systemic infections.

Keywords: lysin-based therapeutics, antimicrobial resistance, multi-drug resistant bacteria, Acinetobacter baumannii, bacteriophage enzymes, Gram-negative infections, hospital-acquired pneumonia, biopharmaceutical, infectious disease treatment, drug discovery, Rockefeller University spin-out, Chandrabali Ghose, Boehringer Ingelheim partnership, preclinical development, antibiotic alternatives, bacterial cell wall, BH01, burn wound infections, venture capital-backed, drug development