#52 - Hydrogen snacks, metabolic acts & policy quacks
The coffee break biotech roundup, by SomX.
Welcome to the spore report,
This week’s stories are positively teeming with microbial mischief… Gold H₂ puts bacteria to work in abandoned oil wells, KalVista dodges a regulatory curveball, Atrogi targets metabolism through muscle, GSK slashes malaria vaccine prices, and scientists in Edinburgh turn plastic into paracetamol.
Not bad for the tiniest lifeforms on the planet – though I still prefer feathers to flagella.
Stay cultured,
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Discover 🔍
🦠 Gold H2 announces industry introduction of hydrogen-producing microbial technology (Fuel Cell Works): Houston-based Gold H₂ has lifted the lid on its Black 2 Gold biotech, a microbial process that turns defunct oil wells into subterranean hydrogen factories. Each Mobile Microbe Manufacturer can convert up to 120 sites, producing 2.5 tonnes of hydrogen daily at a brisk $0.80/kg. No need for spotless labs or shiny new plants – just bugs, brine, and buried hydrocarbons.
Our take: What a delightfully pragmatic approach! Why build expensive new facilities when you can simply colonise existing infrastructure? The microbes freeload off oil industry investment, turning stranded assets into productive ones. It’s one of the few bio-industrial models that looks cheaper and tougher than its synthetic peers – a great example of industrial symbiosis, using yesterday's environmental liability for tomorrow's clean(er) energy.
❌ Exclusive: FDA's Makary sought rejection of KalVista’s drug in an unusual move by commissioner, sources say (Endpoints): The Commissioner reportedly pushed for the FDA to reject KalVista’s rare disease therapy for hereditary angioedema, before review completion. Thankfully, concerns over legality and lack of scientific consensus stalled the decision. KalVista cited the FDA’s “limited resources” as a cause. But this isnt the first time it’s happened lately, as Stealth BioTherapeutics, reported a delay in April. Coincidentally, both cases coincided with FDA mass layoffs…
Our take: The commissioner's botched intervention is rather embarrassing, but KalVista's candid criticism reveals something more telling. When companies feel comfortable openly citing staffing gaps as delay excuses, and senior leadership can push for mid-review rejections, it raises questions about the FDA's institutional authority. An under-resourced regulator struggling to maintain scientific credibility may find itself in an increasingly precarious position with industry.
💉 Novel molecule may rival GLP-1 agonists for diabetes and obesity treatment (GEN): Swedish biotech Atrogi AB has unveiled intriguing data on novel GRK-biased β2AR partial agonists, an oral alternative to injectable GLP-1. These clever molecules activate metabolism directly in skeletal muscle, delivering blood sugar control and weight loss benefits without the gastric unpleasantness of current treatments. Phase I results from 73 participants suggest it’s well tolerated and suitable for combination therapy with GLP-1 drugs. Next stop, Phase II trials.
Our take: Muscle has always been central to metabolic disease – just maddeningly difficult to harness beyond "eat more protein, lift heavier things." These molecules finally crack that puzzle. Rather than treating muscle as collateral damage, the drug uses muscle as the metabolic control centre – boosting glucose uptake where it actually matters, preserving muscle mass, and potentially solving GLP-1s' sarcopenia problem.
🦟 GSK, Bharat Biotech to slash the price of first malaria vaccine to less than $5 per dose by 2028 (Fierce Pharma): GSK and Bharat Biotech have concocted a most agreeable partnership to slash Mosquirix pricing, through manufacturing ingenuity and technology transfer. The collaboration, termed Gavi (global vaccine alliance), should deliver a handsome 15 million doses whilst supporting the rollout across 12 African countries by year's end. Bharat's established supplier pedigree and manufacturing prowess ought to ensure a sustainable supply at the new sub-$5 price point.
Our take: This looks a little like market psychology. By orchestrating their own margin compression, GSK inoculates themselves against future competitive pressure whilst appearing magnanimous. It's a shrewd strike that makes rivals look expensive by comparison. The low benchmark also creates a ceiling for other vaccines, constraining returns across the entire category. Sometimes the cleverest move is teaching everyone else to undercut you first.
And finally…
♻️ Turning plastic into medicine: Closing the loop on pharma production (Labiotech): Edinburgh University clever clogs have pulled off a splendid feat: engineering E. coli to transform PET plastic remnants directly into paracetamol. Their approach feeds terephthalic acid to specially modified bacteria that dutifully churn out headache relief at nearly 90% conversion rates within 24 hours – essentially turning discarded fizzy drink bottles into pharmaceutical gold. With backing from AstraZeneca and the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Our take: It’s easy to wave off bug-powered biomanufacturing as eco-theatre, but this transcends typical pollution-munching microbe tales by pointing towards modular pharma manufacturing. Repurposing plastic into active pharmaceuticals reframes waste as feedstock. The science holds up. What’s missing is infrastructure. Still, if we’re to wean pharma off fossil inputs, we’ll need ideas as unorthodox (and well-funded) as this.
Tune in 🎧
👶🏻 Have we seen a breakthrough in preventing genetic disease?: This episode explores how doctors created a bespoke gene editing drug to treat a baby with toxic ammonia levels, marking a potential shift in personalised medicine.
💰 Biotech Investment Banking 101 Feat Sonia Gupta of Goldman Sachs: Sonia explains how banking in this space blends strategy, science and high-stakes decision-making, and why Goldman values biotech firms with no revenue.
🧠 How to build reputation, and treating spastic paraplegia 47: BlackFinBio discusses its clinical-stage gene therapy for a rare neurological disorder, while Waterhouse Brands explores how reputational strength helps biotech companies weather uncertain markets.
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