Prokarium is developing a synthetic‑biology platform that re‑engineers a proprietary strain of Salmonella with bespoke synthetic circuits to deliver diverse therapeutic payloads. Its lead program targets bladder cancer and is intended to offer an alternative to BCG with immune‑driven, long‑lasting antitumor effects. Prokarium is advancing that lead oncology program into clinical development this year. The company is building a bactofection platform to deliver novel payloads, including RNA, via its proprietary bacteria. Prokarium announced a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks to leverage Ginkgo’s Foundry and Codebase for strain engineering and platform optimization. The company also added two scientific advisors, Professor Adrian Hayday and Sam Chang, as it transitions to a clinical‑stage company. Prokarium is based in London, UK and announced a $30 million financing to support these plans. Prokarium is a privately-held biotechnology company focused on developing novel immunotherapies and vaccines based on an engineered microbial platform. Its lead oncology program is a microbial immunotherapy targeting non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, planned to enter the clinic in 2022. The company is also leveraging its platform with the Wellcome Trust for phase 1 and phase 2 clinical evaluation of a combination typhoid and paratyphoid vaccine. Prokarium said the new financing will support advancement of the bladder cancer program and expansion of its pipeline across multiple solid tumours. The company is headquartered in London and recently strengthened its leadership team. Prokarium also announced executive promotions and the appointment of Hyam Levitsky, MD, to its Board of Directors. Prokarium develops oral microbial immunotherapies and vaccines delivered as capsules or sachets, aiming to elicit mucosal, systemic and cellular immunity. Its lead programme, Entervax™, is a bivalent oral vaccine against enteric fever based on the Vaxonella® platform and combining the proprietary ZH9 strain with a novel strain targeting Salmonella Paratyphi A. ZH9 has been safely administered to 351 individuals, including 101 children, in the UK, US and Vietnam. The company plans a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 study in the UK and an age-descending, dose-escalation Phase 1b study in an endemic region in South Asia, with dosing planned to start in the first half of 2020. Prokarium is also developing microbial immunotherapies for solid tumours and oral vaccines against Chlamydia trachomatis and Yersinia pestis (the latter in collaboration with the UK government). The company emphasizes oral delivery as easier to distribute and administer than injectable vaccines, potentially increasing vaccination rates in endemic regions. Prokarium is a UK-based synthetic biology company that has developed Vaxonella, an oral thermostable vaccine delivery platform. Vaxonella enables thermostable microbes to be taken orally to produce vaccines inside the body’s immune cells, triggering mucosal and cellular immunity with minimal side effects and at lower cost than injectable vaccines. The platform offers 12-week thermostability at 40°C, which improves transport to remote locations and access to underserved markets. Prokarium’s pipeline targets Chlamydia, Clostridium difficile and enteric fever (typhoid and paratyphoid), and includes a plague vaccine entering a phase 1 clinical trial under an SBRI contract funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care and managed by Innovate UK. The company operates a dual business model of in-house vaccine development and out-licensing of the Vaxonella platform and is expanding R&D into immuno-oncology. Prokarium plans to grow its team and pursue partnerships with global biopharmaceutical companies to commercialize its thermostable oral vaccines and immunotherapies.

Total raised

$67M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Feb 2023