FIN-524

FIN-524, also known as TAK-524, is an investigational microbiome therapeutic candidate developed for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. [2, 7] It is formulated as an orally administered, targeted consortium of both spore-forming and non-spore-forming bacterial strains. [3, 7] The strains were selected using a machine-learning platform to target multiple mechanisms of action based on data from microbiota transplantation studies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). [3, 7] The product is manufactured from master cell banks, making it independent of donors. [3, 7] Originally developed by Finch Therapeutics, the drug was licensed to Takeda Pharmaceutical Company in 2017 for global development and commercialization. [1] In August 2021, Takeda assumed lead development responsibilities to advance the program into clinical trials. [3, 5] However, Takeda terminated the collaboration in August 2022, effective November 17, 2022, following a strategic pipeline review, returning all rights to Finch. [2, 3, 4] Following the termination, Finch halted spending on its IBD program.