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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Swedish biotech startup raises €1.3M to advance antibiotic-free vaginal infection treatment

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Lund-based deep tech startup Gedea Biotech has raised €1.3 million. The funding round saw participation from both existing and new shareholders, including Family Offices and Business Angels with a proven track record as life science investors. With the aim of addressing bacterial vaginosis, Gedea Biotech has focused its efforts on creating pHyph, a vaginal tablet that offers a promising treatment solution. The recent funding round will provide the necessary resources to continue the development of this product, ensuring its refinement and potential availability for women’s health needs.

Founded in 2015, Gedea Biotech will continue their ongoing proof-of-concept study for the treatment of Vulvo Vaginal Candidiasis (VVC) using pHyph. This study has been partially financed by a recent grant from Swelife and Medtech4Health. The company will dedicate efforts to understanding how the vaginal microbiome changes during both short-term and long-term treatment with pHyph in patients with bacterial vaginosis. Furthermore, they will commence preparations for an additional clinical study targeting the treatment of bacterial vaginosis, with plans for it to begin after the summer.

According to research conducted worldwide, there are 400 million of women suffering from vaginal infections, and the likelihood of these infections recurring is alarmingly high. Considering the potential risk of antibiotic resistance associated with traditional treatments, there is an urgent need for an alternative or complementary treatment method. The World Health Organization recognizes this as one of the major threats to global health. Recognizing that at least 75% of women experience vaginal infections, Gedea Biotech has remained committed to developing antibiotic-free treatments for vaginal infections. Based on the results of their clinical trials, which they have shared on their website, the innovative pHyph vaginal tablet has demonstrated not only a significant reduction in symptoms for nearly 90% of treated patients but also a substantial rate of improvement. Importantly, this treatment option shows comparable efficacy to antibiotics, without the associated risk of a secondary infection.

The vaginal tablet, pHyph will treat bacterial vaginosis (BV) and prevent recurrence by promoting a healthy vaginal microbiome, restoring the vaginal pH to its normal level of pH 4,0 – 4,5 and by breaking down the biofilm formed during BV under which the infectious bacteria begin to thrive. These mechanisms of actions, together provide a beneficial environment for the healthy vaginal microbiome. The naturally occurring active ingredient GDA 001 in pHyph is well documented and is already approved as a food additive. A clinical cure rate for BV on par with antibiotics on the market, has been proven in two phase 2 trials, with a superior safety profile and without causing secondary VVC infections as antibiotics do.

“We are delighted to have succeeded in raising more funds for our additional clinical documentation of pHyph and also to investigate its wider impact on the vaginal microbiome. We particularly welcome the engagement by the new shareholders,” says Annette Säfholm, CEO of Gedea Biotech. “The commitment from new, experienced life science investors to support our journey validates the trust in our company and our plans for the further development of pHyph”.


Chairman of the board Ton Berkien adds: “In the current, rather harsh climate for investments, it is quite an achievement to raise funds within life sciences, and I would like to express my thanks to both current and new investors and welcome them warmly to be part of the exciting Gedea journey”.

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Nurcin Metingil
Nurcin Metingil
A permanent student, a passionate first reader and nowadays doing master’s degree in Publishing Management. Beside these, I am up for games! I have been playing games since I was 6. Now, I am whispering "Business. Business. Numbers. Is this working?"

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