Phyla Skincare explores eczema solutions after addressing acne with microbiome tech

Dr. Yug Varma, PhD, founder and CTO of Phyla Skincare (Image credit: Phyla Skincare).

23 Aug 2024 --- As microbiome health comes into focus, Phyla Skincare tells Personal Care Insights it has a clinically proven probiotic that solely targets acne bacteria without causing dysbiosis. We talk to CTO and founder, Dr. Yug Varma about the future of skin as the company is now expanding its expertise into other skin concerns, notably eczema.

With a project already underway and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) interest, Varma reveals how Phyla Skincare is at the forefront of a shift in approaches to chronic skin conditions.

Varma shares insights on the parallels between acne and eczema, the latest advancements in eczema treatment and how Phyla’s bacteriophage technology could offer safer, more accessible solutions for those suffering from these conditions. A bacteriophage, or phage, is a virus that infects and replicates within bacteria.

Varma believes phage technology can add value to the microbiome in aging and inflammation.We also explore the broader vision for Phyla Skincare as it looks to diversify its offerings and apply its approach to other skin health challenges.

Phyla Skincare has primarily focused on acne solutions. Could you share how you are expanding to address other skin concerns, such as eczema?
Dr. Varma: There are several skin conditions where the microbiome is known to be involved. After acne, eczema is the biggest such condition. We have an active project in this space that is in the early stages and is quite promising. It has attracted the interest of the NIH and we are submitting a grant for funding to continue this research. The microbiome is also changed in other conditions like aging and inflammation, and we are keen to study that.

What are the most recent advancements in eczema research, and how do you perceive the potential application of bacteriophage technologies in treating eczema?
Dr. Varma: Recently, a whole slew of new eczema medications have come out, including monoclonal antibodies and JAK inhibitors. Given the chronic lack of innovation in eczema prior to this, these developments are a godsend to patients. However, I see two problems with the current landscape. One is that these drugs often have serious side effects, some of which can be worse than the eczema itself. Since pediatric eczema affects a large portion of the affected population, safe and effective solutions for eczema are sorely needed, which bacteriophage technology can certainly deliver. The second is an issue of access — these new eczema drugs are prescription-only and very expensive. Given that eczema is a chronic and often lifelong condition, this makes long-term treatment costs prohibitive. We are aiming to build products with phage technology that are affordable, safe and highly effective, and to remove barriers to access by pricing them reasonably in the OTC market.

Can you compare and contrast the characteristics and underlying causes of acne and eczema, highlighting any similarities and differences?
Dr. Varma: Both acne and eczema are complex chronic diseases with multiple influencing factors. Both of them have a big microbiome component, i.e., the bacteria involved in pathogenesis and disease exacerbation, as well as their mechanisms of action, have been well studied. In both cases, bacterial overgrowth leads to a microbiome imbalance, which is a key driver of inflammation. The bacteria responsible for these are different — in acne, it is Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes), while in eczema, it is Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Finally, both have a high prevalence in our society and in the past decades, their incidence has increased.A bacteriophage, or phage, is a virus that infects and replicates within bacteria (Image credit: Phyla Skincare).

What strategies and plans does Phyla Skincare have for diversifying its product line to include treatments for other skin conditions beyond acne?
Dr. Varma: We continue to innovate in acne by constantly improving all aspects of our phage technology to optimize its performance. Beyond acne, our next interest is eczema. We hope that as more people come to experience Phyla and the powerful results of phage technology for themselves, they ask, can this work for eczema? We want to be there to deliver the solution to them. Other than eczema, I’m interested in the mechanisms of the microbiome in aging and inflammation since phage technology could deliver a lot of value there. Finally, there are other chronic skin diseases with a bacterial component that we are looking into, but I can’t reveal much about them since they are in the early stages.

Industry developments in eczema

The principal investigator of the Epithelial Therapeutics Unit at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told us that Roseomonas mucosa, a naturally occurring bacterium on healthy skin, can effectively treat eczema in adults and children. That has led to the development of Defensin by Skinesa, a new over-the-counter topical probiotic for eczema.

The Department of Scientific Affairs at Ego Pharmaceuticals in Australia studied the structural and functional features of key phytosphingosine-based ceramides (CERs) — notably CER[EOP], CER[NP] and CER[AP] — and their role in atopic skin health.

Research by Lucas Meyer Cosmetics unveiled developments in prebiotic skin care with the discovery of a highly concentrated dragon fruit extract known as IBR-Dragon. The cosmetic active and functional ingredient provider’s extract showed the potential to promote skin health by influencing the balance of the skin microbiota.

Gencor spoke to us about its human clinical trial, which showcased the efficacy of Levagen+ against eczema. The palmitoylethanolamide ingredient is found to “significantly” alleviate dry, red, scaling and itchy skin when used as a topical cream.

By Venya Patel

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