OpenBiome Receives Grant to Expand its FMT Capsule Program

Funding from the Neil and Anna Rasmussen Foundation enables large-scale production of new capsule formulation

Medford, MA – Just a few months after developing the first fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) pill, OpenBiome is announcing an award of $225,000 from the Neil and Anna Rasmussen Foundation to enable scaling of OpenBiome’s capsule program. This grant will allow OpenBiome to build out the infrastructure necessary for scaled production, including equipment for purchases, and dose-finding and clinical validation studies.

Fecal microbiota transplantation is a procedure in which a stool preparation from a healthy human donor is infused into the intestine of a patient, previously typically delivered via colonoscopy, enema, or nasoenteric tube.

OpenBiome’s recently developed, uniquely scalable FMT pill reduces both the procedural costs and risks associated with the more invasive delivery methods. Utilizing OpenBiome’s patent-pending Microbial Emulsion Matrix (MEM) technology, FMT Capsules G3 ensures long-term stability, allowing for shipping and storage time before delivery.

“The generous funding from the Rasmussen Foundation will provide OpenBiome with the capital required to build out a scalable production infrastructure to make capsules in quantities in line with current and anticipated clinical need,” said James Burgess, Executive Director at OpenBiome. “This program is a promising and necessary step forward in the space to further expand patients’ access to FMT, both in cost and ease of procedure.”

About the Rasmussen Foundation

The Neil and Anna Rasmussen Foundation is an independent foundation involved in natural resource conservation, education, human services, and healthcare. The Foundation has supported OpenBiome in past years, providing capital for growth. Neil Rasmussen, M. Eng., co-founder of the foundation, is on OpenBiome’s Board of Directors.

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