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Syntis Bio emerged from stealth on Tuesday with ambitions to mimic the effectiveness of weight-loss surgery with a once-daily oral therapy. The company – which counts mRNA pioneer Robert Langer as one of its co-founders – is hoping to exploit the small intestine’s unique biology to not only combat obesity, but a range of rare metabolic diseases.“While GLP-1 drugs have delivered new hope and unprecedented efficacy, there is significant demand for additional treatment options given ongoing issues with accessibility, cost, side effects and long-term maintenance,” noted co-founder Rahul Dhanda, the start-up's chief executive. The biotech is using the fact that the small intestine serves as the nexus for metabolic control, digestion and drug absorption. Its lead programme, SYNT-101, is designed to mimic the effects of gastric bypass surgery by transiently blocking nutrient absorption in the upper part of the small intestine. Syntis explained that this diverts nutrients to the lower small intestine, where absorption is more controlled, and stimulates a full cascade of satiety hormones such as GLP-1 and peptide YY. IND filing in 2025A formulation of SYNT-101 – which is powered by the company’s SYNT oral therapeutic technology – is currently in human testing, with full data due by the end of 2024. Findings from the study are expected to support an IND application with the FDA next year."What began as research to enhance the bioavailability of oral paediatric therapies quickly shifted to a vastly larger scale as we recognised that SYNT’s elegantly simple chemistry could help solve many global health challenges," remarked Langer. The technology uses mussel-inspired polymer chemistry to deliver a polydopamine coating to catalase-rich tissues, like the small intestine, which lasts for 24 hours before being naturally cleared from the body.Key to many disorders"The small intestine is the key to treating a broad spectrum of disorders,” Langer noted, with the SYNT platform also able to install and sustain gut-restricted enzymes in the small bowel, enhance the oral bioavailability of drugs, and target new tissues throughout the body. Earlier this year, Syntis acquired a portfolio of engineered enzymes from Codexis, including SYNT-202 for homocystinuria and SYNT-203 for maple syrup urine disease. The company is now working on next-generation formulations of the oral drugs and expects to submit an IND for one of them to the FDA next year.Syntis is backed by Safar Partners, BOLD Capital Partners, Touchdown Ventures, Colorcon Ventures and Portal Innovations, and raised $15.5 million in seed financing in 2023.For related analysis, see Vital Signs: Updating the oral obesity efficacy landscape – can they compete with injectables?

Lead program SYNT-101 now in human trials to validate potential as a once-daily oral obesity therapy Orphan pediatric portfolio acquired from Codexis expands pipeline with first-in-class oral enzyme replacement therapies for homocystinuria and maple syrup urine disease; both programs ready for IND-enabling studies Proprietary SYNT™ technology optimizes therapeutic effects in the small intestine, the body’s nexus for metabolic control, digestion and drug absorption BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Syntis Bio, Inc. (Syntis) today announced its launch as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a mission to develop oral therapies that provide more accessible, effective and sustainable solutions across the healthcare spectrum, from rare genetic disorders to the world’s most prevalent conditions. By harnessing the small intestine’s unique biology as the nexus for metabolic control, digestion and drug absorption, the company is rapidly advancing a portfolio of programs addressing metabolic diseases ranging from obesity to rare pediatric indications homocystinuria (HCU) and maple syrup urine disease (MSUD). Co-founded by industry veteran Rahul Dhanda and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) visionaries Robert Langer, Sc.D., and Giovanni Traverso, M.B., B.Chir., Ph.D., Syntis is advancing its lead obesity program, SYNT-101, through human trials, as well as advancing a pipeline of rare disease assets into Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies. In 2023, the company raised a seed round of $15.5 million from leading life sciences and strategic investors, including Safar Partners, BOLD Capital Partners, Touchdown Ventures, Colorcon Ventures and Portal Innovations. “Obesity is a global epidemic projected to affect 1.5 billion people by 2030. While GLP-1 drugs have delivered new hope and unprecedented efficacy, there is significant demand for additional treatment options given ongoing issues with accessibility, cost, side effects and long-term maintenance,” said Mr. Dhanda, who serves as Chief Executive Officer of Syntis. “We are excited by the encouraging results seen so far in human trials for our SYNT-101 program, which may offer an alternative or complementary obesity therapy in a convenient, accessible once-daily pill. By unlocking the small intestine’s therapeutic value, we are pioneering more effective treatments across a vast spectrum of conditions—from widespread issues affecting millions, like obesity and diabetes, to rare conditions such as HCU and MSUD, where thousands suffer and options are scarce.” SYNT-101 once-daily pill for obesity The company’s lead program, SYNT-101, is a once-daily pill that mimics the effects of gastric bypass surgery by transiently blocking nutrient absorption in the duodenum, the upper part of the small intestine. This mechanism, known as duodenal nutrient exclusion, diverts nutrients to the lower small intestine, where absorption is more controlled, and stimulates a full cascade of satiety hormones such as GLP-1 and PYY. A formulation of SYNT-101 is currently undergoing human trials to establish preliminary safety, tolerability and blocking efficacy, with a full data readout anticipated by the end of 2024. Syntis plans to leverage data from this initial study to support its IND application with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2025. “While weight loss surgery remains the gold standard for obesity and diabetes management, SYNT-101 represents a pioneering non-invasive, non-surgical way to replicate this mechanism of action in a simple pill,” said Dr. Traverso, who is also an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT and an Associate Professor of Gastroenterology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. “SYNT-101 has potential to achieve significant, sustainable weight loss with a more favorable cost and tolerability pro existing injectable GLP-1 therapies, which would meaningfully address current market gaps and unmet patient needs in obesity care.” SYNT-101 is powered by SYNT™ (SYNthetic Tissue-lining), an oral therapeutic technology developed by Drs. Langer and Traverso that uses mussel-inspired polymer chemistry to deliver a safe, transient polydopamine coating to catalase-rich tissues, like the duodenum. After successful deployment in the gastrointestinal tract (GI), the polydopamine lining is sustained for up to 24 hours, after which it is naturally and safely cleared from the body. As a technology platform, SYNT is highly versatile and can achieve a variety of therapeutic effects. In addition to nutrient exclusion, SYNT can be engineered to install and sustain gut-restricted enzymes in the small bowel, enhance the oral bioavailability of drugs, and target new tissues throughout the body. Data from more than 100 preclinical pig studies conducted by MIT and Syntis demonstrate that SYNT can achieve 70% glucose blocking, 20 times improved enzyme activity, and 4-10 times increased oral drug bioavailability. "What began as research to enhance the bioavailability of oral pediatric therapies quickly shifted to a vastly larger scale as we recognized that SYNT’s elegantly simple chemistry could help solve many global health challenges," said Dr. Langer, who is also the David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT. "The small intestine is the key to treating a broad spectrum of disorders and, by targeting this region, SYNT not only functions therapeutically on its own, but it also improves systemic drug bioavailability and local activity of biologic therapies, including enzymes.” Rare pediatric disease portfolio In April 2024, Syntis expanded its pipeline by acquiring a portfolio of engineered enzymes from Codexis, Inc. Syntis’ initial focus is on developing first-in-class, orally administered treatments for homocystinuria (SYNT-202) and maple syrup urine disease (SYNT-203). Both conditions currently lack any approved disease modifying therapies. SYNT-202 and SYNT-203 have completed non-human primate studies, and the company anticipates filing an IND application with the FDA for one of these drug candidates in 2025. “Since announcing our strategic shift last year, the team at Codexis has been diligently working to find the right partners to continue advancing our biotherapeutics compounds. We are delighted to partner with Syntis for further development of two potential first-in-class treatments for homocystinuria and maple syrup urine disease,” said Stephen Dilly, MBBS, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Codexis. “We look forward to seeing what the combination of SYNT technology and the Syntis team can deliver for these rare disease patients.” Syntis is actively developing next-generation formulations of SYNT-202 and SYNT-203 that leverage SYNT technology to improve local therapeutic activity and residence time for maximal patient benefit. Additionally, the company has several discovery-stage research projects underway exploring solutions for pancreatic insufficiency and peptic ulcers. The Syntis board of directors is composed of Mr. Dhanda and Drs. Langer and Traverso, as well as highly experienced corporate strategists and company builders Teymour Boutros-Ghali, Ph.D., co-founder and Managing Partner of BOLD Capital, and Martin Madaus, D.V.M., Ph.D., Operating Executive at the Carlyle Group. About Syntis Bio Syntis Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral therapies that harness the small intestine’s unique biology to provide more accessible, effective and sustainable solutions across the healthcare spectrum, from rare genetic disorders to the world’s most prevalent conditions. Syntis is rapidly advancing a pipeline of oral therapies engineered for optimization in the small intestine, the body’s nexus for metabolic control, digestion and drug absorption. The company’s lead program, SYNT-101, is a once-daily oral pill for the treatment of obesity that mimics the effects of gastric bypass surgery. SYNT-101 leverages the power of SYNT™ (SYNthetic Tissue-lining), an oral technology developed by Syntis founders that delivers a safe, transient polymer coating to the duodenum that controls nutrient uptake, as well as enhances both gut-restricted enzyme efficacy and systemic drug absorption for up to 24 hours. The company is also developing a portfolio of enzyme replacement therapies to treat orphan metabolic and broad digestive disorders. Syntis is headquartered in Boston and has raised $15.5 million to date from leading life sciences and strategic investors. For more information, please visit and follow on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: Contacts Investor Contact: IR@syntis.bio Source: Syntis Bio, Inc. View this news release online at:

Aging and related diseases are associated with alterations in oxidative status and low-grade inflammation, as well as a decreased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) unfolded protein response (UPR). UPR is a functional mechanism by which cells attempt to protect themselves against ER stress. Researchers analyzed these proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of elderly subjects and used computer simulation to predict the key proteins associated with these biomolecules underlying physiological adaptations to exercise. They collected blood samples about five to six days before and after the training period and analyzed various oxidative stress biomarkers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The study takes research one step further in helping to elucidate the benefits of exercise in this population. Aging involves a balance between oxidants and antioxidants, low-grade inflammation and a protein response that occurs at the cellular level, which is responsible for many health disorders. Exercise has been shown to regulate the inflammatory response, balance oxidants such as free radicals that build up in the cells and damage DNA; and ameliorate the process by which cells protect themselves against these stressors. Furthermore, resistance training in older adults is recommended to help maintain muscle, flexibility and balance. Aging and related diseases are associated with alterations in oxidative status and low-grade inflammation, as well as a decreased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) unfolded protein response (UPR). UPR is a functional mechanism by which cells attempt to protect themselves against ER stress, resulting from the accumulation of the unfolded/misfolded proteins. One group of proteins associated with the aging process is the mitochondrial heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), which has been demonstrated to play a protective role in the ability for cells to remain active and healthy. Currently, there is limited research investigating the effects of resistance training in older adults on the expression of HSP60 and Klotho, a gene involved in the aging process in mammals. A new study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University, in collaboration with the University of León in Spain, examined whether an eight-week resistance training program would modulate the oxidative status, the UPR activation and key inflammatory pathways as well as their relationships with HSP60 and Klotho proteins. For the study, researchers analyzed these proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of elderly subjects. In addition, they utilized computer simulation to predict the key proteins associated with these biomolecules underlying physiological adaptations to exercise. They collected blood samples approximately five to six days before and after the training period and just before training intervention in young subjects who were included for basal assessments. Researchers also analyzed various oxidative stress biomarkers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Results of the study, published in the journal Antioxidants, demonstrated that the levels of the inflammatory proteins (pIRAK1, TLR4, and TRAF6), as well as different markers of the redox balance (catalase, GSH, LP, NRF2, PC, ROS, SOD1, and SOD2) remained unchanged with training. Importantly, untrained elderly subjects showed a significant reduction in pIRE1/IRE1 ratio when compared to trained elderly subjects. Such a finding was further confirmed by a gene ontology analysis, showing that endoplasmic reticulum stress is a key mechanism modulated by IRE1. Additionally, analysis did not show the training effect on the expression of HSP60 and Klotho or their relationships with other outcome variables. Although elderly male and female subjects were included in the training program, researchers did not find any sex effects in the study. These findings might partially support the modulatory effect of resistance training on the endoplasmic reticulum in the elderly. "Regular physical activity is suggested to be an effective intervention in improving age-related diseases such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia or muscle loss and dynapenia or loss of muscle strength, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes," said Chun-Jung "Phil" Huang, Ph.D., co-author and a professor in the Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion within FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. "Although the beneficial effects of regular physical exercise to alleviate inflammation and oxidative stress are well-established, the processes of these physiological adaptations with regard to protein folding or UPR remains to be explored. That is why we used a systems biology approach for our study." The resistance training protocol for the study consisted of 16 sessions over eight weeks (two sessions per week), with a minimum of 48 hours between sessions. The participants started with a 10-minute warm-up on a cycle ergometer. Subsequently, eight different resistance exercises (leg press, ankle extension, bench press, leg extension, bicep curl, pec deck, high pulley traction, and dumbbell lateral lift) were performed using the exercise device. For each exercise, participants performed three sets of 12-8-12 repetitions. There was a two-to-three-minute rest between each repetition and a three-minute rest between each exercise. "We know how very important physical activity is for older adults and our study takes research one step further in helping to elucidate the benefits of exercise in this population," said Huang. Study co-authors are senior author Brisamar Estébanez, Ph.D.; Marta Rivera-Viloria; and José A. de Paz, M.D., all with the University of León; José E. Vargas, Ph.D., Universidad Federal do Paraná, Curtiba; and Nishant P. Visavadiay, Ph.D.; and Andy V. Kahmoui, Ph.D., both with FAU's Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion.