Doing More with Bacteria: new innovations from AOBiome and Mother Dirt

21-Sep-2016 - Last updated on 22-Sep-2016 at 19:23 GMT

the Science 37 platform in action, connecting patient, nurse, and study investigators via iPad (image courtesy of the AOBiome)

Related tags Mother dirt Acne vulgaris Clinical trial

The clinical research company and its consumer products brand are moving bacteria forward, launching new product and advancing research that could change skin care forever.

AOBiome specializes in biotech and research in the area of human health as it relates to ammonia oxidizing bacteria. The company got its start in 2013 and is co-located in Boston, Massachusetts, and San Francisco, California.

Digital acne data

This week the company announced its latest trial: a combination of topical bacteria to address acne and telemedicine technology that monitors treatment results though a mobile, digital interface. The study is likely to run until Q3 of next year, according to a press release from AOBiome.

The digital portion is happening thanks to a partnership with Science37, a research company in Los Angeles, California, that puts its cloud-based platform NORA (which is an acronym for Network Oriented Research Assistant) to work for trials like this, enabling access to patients “without geographical limits,” as the company puts it.

“With approximately 372 adult patients enrolled for the treatment of mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris in adults with AOB, the trial will also employ smartphones for collecting real-time patient data – an industry first,” explains the release from AOBiome.

Bacteria acne treatment

Chiefly, the study is about finding an effective acne treatment using live, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. This is phase 2B of AOBiome’s clinical testing of this remedy.

The prior phase of testing was a no-bad news-is-good-news step in developing the treatment. “With the remarkable outcome of the Phase 1B/2A study, we are excited to see the results of this upcoming Phase 2B trial with Science37, which will feature one-to-one randomized, double-blind, and placebo controlled doses, over the course of 12 weeks,” the company’s chief medical officer Larry Weiss, tells the press.

“AOB's unique safety profile allows us to reach more patients and to rapidly test for clinical efficacy across multiple disease states, with acne being the first,” adds Weiss.

Bacteria meets moisturizer

AOBiome, beyond its own projects, owns and operates the consumer-facing brand Mother Dirt, a pioneer in bacteria-rich personal care products.

This week, Mother Dirt added a fourth product to its innovative portfolio: a moisturizer that’s friendly to the skin’s microbiome as well as free from preservatives.

Simply called Mother Dirt Moisturizer, the new offering has been “created to work in conjunction with the live peacekeeper bacteria found in Mother Dirt's signature AO + MIST live probiotic spray,” notes a separate press release about the new lotion.

“All ingredients in the Moisturizer have been selected to mimic the skin's natural barrier, and replenish essential components typically removed with modern cleansing products - leaving consumers with better looking, and better feeling skin,” according to the release. This remark emphasizes something very pertinent—bacteria makes sense in beauty because it is the ultimate natural.