EL-22

EL-22 is a first-in-class, engineered probiotic being developed by Northstrive Biosciences, a subsidiary of PMGC Holdings. It is designed to preserve muscle mass in patients undergoing weight loss treatments, such as with GLP-1 receptor agonists, and is also being explored for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and age-related sarcopenia. The drug is administered orally and consists of a genetically engineered *Lactobacillus casei* probiotic that expresses modified human myostatin on its surface. This is designed to induce a systemic anti-myostatin antibody response, thereby inhibiting myostatin's function as a negative regulator of muscle growth. A Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers has been completed in South Korea, where the drug demonstrated a good safety and tolerability profile. Northstrive is pursuing clinical development in the U.S. and, after receiving supportive feedback from the FDA, plans to file an IND application in 2025 to initiate a Phase 2 trial. In addition to human health, EL-22 is being developed for animal health applications, with rights licensed to Modulant Biosciences.

Other names

EL-22 Myostatin Engineered ProbioticEL22 Myostatin Engineered ProbioticEL 22 Myostatin Engineered Probiotic