Da Volterra’s DAV132 helps fighting AMR crisis

Da Volterra announced promising results from a Phase 1 clinical study of its product candidate DAV132 in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. “This study constitutes the first scientific demonstration of the protection of the intestinal microbiome from dysbiosis caused by a fluoroquinolone antibiotic treatment; our data suggests that this effect should be extendable to many different antibiotics from several therapeutic classes. The metagenomics analysis we have conducted in partnership with the Metagenopolis team is outstanding and thoroughly convincing that DAV132 is highly effective at protecting the commensal bacteria in the intestines,“ states Chief Scientific Officer Jean de Gunzburg of Da Volterra. DAV132 is an oral adsorbent (activated charcoal) designed to irreversibly capture residual antibiotics in the late ileum, caecum and colon before they can disrupt the intestinal microbiota. In phase 1 tests, DAV132 was used in association with moxifloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, associated with the antimicrobial resistancs (AMR) of Clostridium difficile infections in humans. The results demonstrated that DAV132 is able to effectively capture residual antibiotics in the colon and reduce their concentration to very low levels. The candidate reduced exposure of the intestinal microbiota to moxifloxacin by 99% and maintained 97.8% of the microbiome’s genetic richness without affecting the drugs therapeutic efficacy. In the DAV132-CL-1002 phase 1 clinical trial 44 healthy subjects were enrolled in four parallel groups.

Last September, the microbiota specialist received a €20m loan from the European Investment Bank to push the clinical development of its novel concept to fight Clostridium difficile infections. Novel strategies aiming at the protection of the intestinal microbiome against negative effects of antibiotics; and small and medium-sized enterprises developing novel antimicrobials and diagnostics targeting multidrug-resistant bacteria will be presented at this year’s Berlin Conference “Novel Antimicrobials & AMR Diagnostics”.