Orally administered SYN-020 observed to be well tolerated across all doses in healthy volunteers-

ROCKVILLE, MD, USA I May 10, 2022 I Synthetic Biologics, Inc. (NYSE American: SYN), a diversified clinical-stage company developing therapeutics designed to treat diseases in areas of high unmet need, today announced positive safety data from its Phase 1, placebo-controlled, double-blind multiple ascending dose (MAD) clinical trial of SYN-020 intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP). The Phase 1 MAD study enrolled 32 healthy adult volunteers into four cohorts with SYN-020 administered orally in doses ranging from 5 mg to 75 mg twice daily for 14 days with a follow-up evaluation at day 35. Each cohort included six subjects who received SYN-020 and two who received placebo. Analyses of preliminary data demonstrated that SYN-020 maintained a favorable safety profile and was well-tolerated across all dose levels. There were a few treatment-related adverse events, and all were mild (grade 1) and resolved without medical intervention. The most common adverse event, constipation, occurred in three out of 24 subjects in the treatment arm and in one out of eight subjects in the placebo arm. No adverse event led to discontinuation of the study drug and there were no serious adverse events. SYN-020 levels were below the limit of quantitation in all plasma samples at all timepoints during the study. Additional analyses, including fecal levels of SYN-020 and anti-drug antibody levels are on-going.

Both the previously reported Phase 1 single ascending dose (SAD) study and the current MAD study are intended to support the development of SYN-020 in multiple clinical indications. The Company is continuing to evaluate potential lead indications, which may include celiac disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and radiation enteropathy as well as indications to treat and prevent metabolic and inflammatory disorders associated with aging. This latter group of age-related clinical indications is supported by the Company’s collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital.

“SYN-020 is a promising, versatile asset that has the potential to become a multi-indication therapeutic capable of addressing a considerable market opportunity and unmet need for innovative, new therapies targeting disorders stemming from gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation,” said Steven A. Shallcross, Chief Executive Officer of Synthetic Biologics. “We will continue to explore the therapeutic potential of SYN-020 across indications including celiac disease, NAFLD, age-related metabolic and inflammatory diseases. We are very encouraged by these positive Phase 1 results and look forward to SYN-020’s clinical advancement.”

SYN-020 is a recombinant bovine IAP formulated for oral delivery to the small intestine and designed to diminish fat absorption and intestinal inflammation, tighten the gut barrier to mitigate “leaky gut,” and promote a healthy microbiome. Despite its broad therapeutic potential, a key hurdle to commercialization has been the high cost of IAP manufacture. Synthetic Biologics has overcome this hurdle and has the ability to produce SYN-020 at a scale and cost viable for clinical and commercial development.

About Synthetic Biologics, Inc.

Synthetic Biologics, Inc. (NYSE American: SYN) is a diversified clinical-stage company developing therapeutics designed to treat diseases in areas of high unmet need. The Company recently consummated the acquisition of VCN Biosciences, S.L. (VCN), which is developing a new oncolytic adenovirus (OV) platform designed for intravenous (IV), intravitreal and antitumoral delivery to trigger tumor cell death, improve access of co-administered cancer therapies to the tumor, and promote a robust and sustained anti-tumor response by the patient’s immune system. The Company’s lead candidates are: (1) VCN-01, an oncolytic adenovirus designed to replicate selectively and aggressively within tumor cells, and to degrade the tumor stroma barrier that serves as a significant physical and immunosuppressive barrier to cancer treatment; (2) SYN-004 (ribaxamase) which is designed to degrade certain commonly used intravenous (IV) beta-lactam antibiotics within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to prevent (a) microbiome damage, (b) Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), (c) overgrowth of pathogenic organisms, (d) the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and (e) acute graft-versus-host-disease (aGVHD) in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients, and (3) SYN-020, a recombinant oral formulation of the enzyme intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) produced under cGMP conditions and intended to treat both local GI and systemic diseases. For more information, please visit Synthetic Biologics’ website at www.syntheticbiologics.com.     

SOURCE: Synthetic Biologics