Pharmaceutical and agricultural product maker Bayer has invested $8m through its Leaps by Bayer unit to lead a $17m series B round for US-based dermatology treatment developer Azitra.
Venture capital firm Bios Partners and Connecticut Innovations, the VC arm of the US state of Connecticut, also took part in the round, which lifted the company’s funding to $34m altogether.
Azitra is using proteomics and genetic engineering to develop treatments for dermatological conditions like acne, atopic dermatitis or rosacea, based on knowledge of the skin microbiome and bacteria that could potentially be beneficial to the skin.
The approach could also be used for skin rashes caused by cancer therapy. Bayer led the round having formed a joint development agreement with the company in January this year covering the classification and characterisation of skin microbiome bacteria.
Jürgen Eckhardt, head of Leaps by Bayer, said: “Leaps by Bayer is investing in transformative technologies with the ability to move the paradigm from treatment to cure.
“The human microbiome is a universe within and on our bodies that is currently poorly understood but provides opportunities for breakthroughs in the broader healthcare sector. Azitra’s cutting edge microbiome technology platform has the potential to address multiple issues of the human skin.”
KdT Ventures led the company’s $14m series A round in October 2019, investing together with Bios Partners, Connecticut Innovations and Godfrey Capital. It had received $2.9m in a Bios Partners-led round two years earlier.
