Psoriasis skin supplement ready for launch

28 Oct 2021 --- Launching on 29 October, World Psoriasis Day, SkinBioTherapeutics’s probiotic food supplement, AxisBiotix-Ps, aims to ease the symptoms associated with psoriasis. The finished product is currently in the skin health company’s Netherlands distribution center waiting to be unleashed.

Click to EnlargeThe product is waiting to be distributed to a limited customer base. Source: SkinBioTherapeutics.SkinBioTherapeutics has developed a proprietary platform technology, SkinBiotix, based on discoveries made by Professor Catherine O’Neill and Professor Andrew McBain. The company is targeting a number of skin health care sectors, the most advanced of which are cosmetic skin care and food supplements, to modulate the immune system by harnessing the gut-skin axis. SkinBioTherapeutics plans to demonstrate its technology through human studies.

In May 2021, the life sciences company conducted a clinical study, the findings of which led to the finalization of the regulatory pathway and commercial strategy for the soon-to-be-released AxisBiotix-Ps. SkinBioTherapeutics reported on the study outcomes for participants that self-identified as suffering from psoriasis. Of the participants that completed the study, 76% reported a reduction in itchiness and 73% reported that their skin felt less irritable. 

“There is an increasing view in microbiology that a healthy gut leads to a healthy body so it was inevitable that scientists would start to look at how gut health is important for skin health,” says Stuart Ashman, CEO of SkinBioTherapeutics. 

Giving an example of how the gut-skin axis is at work, Ashman shares: “If you think about how the gut sends signals to the skin in everyday life, if you eat something that disagrees with you, or are allergic to, the skin can often show that in a rash [or] blotches, etc.”

A probiotic powder for psoriasis

Exploring the link between skin health and the gut-skin axis is a scientific area of deep interest to the team, especially for Professor Catherine O’Neill, the Chief Science Officer of SkinBioTherapeutics. Delving into the skin-gut relationship then turned into the idea to develop a probiotic powder to treat psoriasis. “One of the ways that the gut can communicate with the rest of the body including the skin is via its microbiome,” details O’Neill. “In fact, the gut microbiome is really important during development in the first few years of life for ‘training’ the immune system. Psoriasis is an immune-mediated condition and so we naturally wondered whether you can use bacteria to modify the immune system in people with inflamed skin.”

With extensive knowledge about immune system issues related to psoriasis already well-documented and available, SkinBioTherapeutics saw the condition as a good place to start with the launch of its psoriasis food supplement, AxisBiotix-Ps. 

Currently, there is no cure for psoriasis and treatments are often steroid-based, which is unsustainable for extended periods. “Therefore we felt that a natural approach would be welcomed by many,” Ashman relays. “Finally, the psoriatic community are incredibly well educated about their condition, they are very vocal and communicate with each other. As such, they were easy to work with in the development of the product.” 

Click to EnlargeThe powder format serves a number of scientific and convenience purposes. Source: SkinBioTherapeutics.SkinBioTherapeutics chose powder as the format for its latest food supplement as it is perceived as easy to use and can be stirred in a drink. In addition, powders are “rapidly absorbed into the gut microbiome,” O’Neill explains.

Many current treatments for inflamed skin are topical preparations. “Users often find [these] difficult to apply to all areas and you can often miss sensitive spots, while they might also be inconvenient as they can affect clothing, etc,” Ashman details. Also, some of the topical treatments like steroid creams can only be used short-term. 

Detailing the science behind the development of AxisBiotix-Ps and how it is able to help skin health, specifically psoriasis, O’Neill explains: “One of the main things that is wrong in a psoriatic environment is that the body produces too much of a chemical in the immune system called interleukin 17.” The bacteria in AxisBiotix-Ps has been specifically chosen because of its ability to reduce levels of this chemical. “Additionally, the gut barrier is weak in people with psoriasis and so targeted bacteria in the product help to restore the integrity of the gut barrier,” adds O’Neill. Together, this leads to a slowing down in the overproduction of new skin cells and overall inflammation.

SkinBioTherapeutics believes its latest product has the potential to advance the scientific community’s understanding of skin health. “The main thing is the evidence that there really is a gut-skin axis that can be modified using bacteria and this opens up a pathway for us to explore other skin conditions like acne and eczema,” shares O’Neill. 

Ahead of the supplement’s commercialization, SkinBioTherapeutics has engaged in a number of key activities including preparing and warehousing the finished product as well as establishing a supply chain and embarking on a marketing plan.

The commercialization of SkinBioTherapeutics’ latest product will begin with a soft launch of AxisBiotix-Ps on World Psoriasis Day, starting in the UK and the US markets. To create a ready-made market for the product at launch, SkinBioTherapeutics created and executed a multimedia marketing strategy to encourage pre-registration of interest from potential customers. Sales of the product will be restricted initially to a limited number from the pre-registration list to ensure its supply chain is robust and reliable. Following this period, the remainder of the waiting list and the wider psoriatic population will be able to access the probiotic supplement via the company’s ecommerce website.

“The soft launch aspect of the commercial strategy is a key element,” shares Ashman. “Given the incurable and severe nature of psoriasis and the significant impact on people’s lives, we have always said that we would initially release AxisBiotix-Ps on a controlled basis to ensure our distribution systems are robust.” 

As disclosed in a business update on 19 August, excluding shipping and any duty costs, AxisBiotix-Ps will be marketed on a subscription basis and priced per sachet in the US at $2.00, at £1.50 in the UK, and in Europe at €1.80. It will be sold in boxes containing 28 sachets.

By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe, BPC Insights Senior Journalist