Biotech ImmunoBiota Therapeutics is preparing to test an experimental oral treatment for type 1 diabetes in children, as it looks to tackle the disease itself rather than simply manage blood sugar levels.
The Melbourne startup is also looking to raise $5 million as it ramps up clinical trials for its treatment.
Founded in 2022 by immunologist Dr Eliana Marino, the Monash University spinout is developing IBT-100, a treatment designed to calm the immune response that causes type 1 diabetes (T1D).
T1D is an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, the hormone needed to control blood glucose.
People with T1D need insulin for life. Previous attempts to change the course of the disease, rather than just manage its symptoms, mostly involve intravenous drugs delivered that can suppress the immune system.
IBT-100 can be taken orally, mixed into a drink, and doesn’t suppress the immune system. It works through the gut to deliver naturally occurring compounds, known as metabolites, directly to the colon, where the company believes they can help retrain the immune system to stop attacking insulin-producing cells.
“For decades we’ve treated the consequences of type 1 diabetes. We’re trying to intervene where the disease begins,” Dr Marino said.
An initial human study involving 18 adults with established T1D found IBT-100 was safe and well tolerated during six weeks of treatment and 12 weeks of follow-up. The company also reported biological changes consistent with its expectations although the small study wasn’t designed to prove that it can stop or reverse diabetes.
Marino is now raising a $5 million Seed round to take IBT-100 for next stage of clinical development – a Phase 1b/2a trial in children to begin in late 2027. The funding will take the startup through regulatory readiness ahead of a planned $25 million Series A and eventual ASX listing.
Dr Marino recently won the $100,000 excellence in innovation award at the Diabetes Australia grand innovation challenge.
