SkinBioTherapeutics launches new consumer study into acne

Life sciences company SkinBioTherapeutics said on Wednesday that it had begun a new consumer study into acne, with two new formulas set to be trialled in order to compare efficacy against "the most common skin condition".

Two separate blends, formulated by Dutch food supplement provider Winclove Probiotics, will be tested side-by-side in a consumer volunteer study to determine which has better efficacy. SinBioTherapeutics aims to target the inflammatory pathways associated with irritable skin conditions like acne.

The study will involve 300 UK-based participants with acne-prone skin, who will be mailed the products and record their experience of using them in a weekly questionnaire over eight weeks.

Chief executive Stuart Ashman said: "This study is potentially a major step towards the commercialisation of a new probiotic treatment that could address the root causes of conditions like acne. Acne, and related irritable and inflammatory conditions are not just skin deep - there is considerable evidence to suggest that it is caused by an imbalance in the gut-skin axis, where the absence of certain strains of bacteria and the overpresence of others can stimulate excessive sebum production. Our probiotic formulation aims to correct this imbalance in the same manner as our psoriasis product - AxisBiotix-Ps."

SkinBioTherapeutics also said full-year trading was in line with market expectations, with cash at year-end of £1.3m, ahead of expectations of £1.1m. The company will update shareholders when its full-year results are published in November.

As of 1055 BST, SkinBioTherapeutics shares were up 0.76% at 26.40p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com