Precisio Biotix Therapeutics Secures Gates Foundation Funding for Bacterial Vaginosis Treatment

Precisio Biotix Therapeutics, Inc. Announced new funding from the Gates Foundation to advance a potential new treatment for bacterial vaginosis, one of the most common vaginal conditions affecting women worldwide. The company said the funding will advance candidates through preclinical development toward future clinical testing. Business Wire published the announcement on October 23, 2026.

Precisio's Lysin Approach to Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis occurs when beneficial bacteria that help maintain vaginal health are displaced by harmful bacteria. These harmful bacteria, particularly Gardnerella, can form protective biofilms that make them difficult to eliminate with antibiotics. Untreated, BV is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, increased susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections, and other reproductive health complications.

Common antibiotics are not very effective since they may fail to eliminate bacteria protected within biofilms, bacteria are increasingly resistant to these antibiotics, and they can also negatively affect beneficial bacteria needed to maintain a healthy vaginal environment. BV affects an estimated 23-29% of women of reproductive age worldwide and recurs in 50-80% of women following antibiotic treatment.

Precisio's lysins are differentiated by how they are engineered. Using its proprietary Zeus-LysiThru platform, Precisio's team optimizes lysins for potency, stability and activity against difficult-to-eradicate biofilms, addressing key limitations of conventional antibiotics and earlier lysin technologies. Precisio is also committed to global access, emphasizing manufacturability and low cost of goods to make these therapies accessible to women worldwide, including those in low- and middle-income countries.

Mark Engel, CEO of Precisio, said, "Precisio's engineered lysins are targeted proteins designed to rapidly destroy specific harmful bacteria. Unlike conventional antibiotics, they are designed to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria and bacteria within biofilms while minimizing disruption of beneficial bacteria." Engel added that BV affects women around the world, yet for many women treatment becomes a frustrating cycle of antibiotics followed by recurrence, and that the goal is to break that cycle by eliminating the harmful bacteria that drive BV while creating an opportunity for a healthy vaginal microbiome to recover and remain stable.

Dr. Raymond Schuch, Vice President of U.S. Operations, said, "this new funding builds on previous Gates Foundation-supported research that identified engineered lysins with strong activity against Gardnerella, a major bacterial driver of BV. The new funding will advance promising candidates through preclinical development toward future clinical testing."

Dr. Mya Thandar, Vice President of Discovery, said, "We are not simply developing another antibiotic. We are developing a targeted antimicrobial designed around the biology of BV - to attack the harmful bacteria and their biofilms while preserving the beneficial bacteria needed for vaginal health. With the help of Gates Foundation, we are one step closer to bringing our treatment to millions of women worldwide."

Precisio's Preclinical Development Plans

The new funding will advance promising candidates through preclinical development toward future clinical testing, according to the company. Precisio Biotix Therapeutics is a U.S.-based biotechnology company developing targeted antimicrobial medicines for difficult-to-treat bacterial infections. Its engineered lysins are designed to selectively destroy harmful bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria and bacteria protected within biofilms, while overcoming key limitations of conventional antibiotics.