What MicrobiotiX does

MicrobiotiX is a clinical-stage South Korean biotechnology company developing bacteriophage-based therapeutics to address multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections and related microbiome-driven diseases. Founded in 2016 as a faculty spinout from Yonsei University College of Medicine, the company is headquartered in Seoul and operates a vertically integrated platform comprising three pillars: (1) a proprietary library of 300+ lytic bacteriophages built over 15 years of research, targeting WHO priority MDR gram-negative pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli; (2) the CUSTOS in silico computational module — described as the first of its kind in Korea — which mathematically predicts phage pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to optimize cocktail formulation; and (3) a cGMP-certified manufacturing facility with approximately 200,000 vials/month capacity, supporting both internal clinical production and external CDMO service revenue.

The company's lead clinical candidate, MP101, is a two-phage cocktail (MXP1001 and MXP1002) targeting acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia, and received IND approval from Korea's MFDS in October 2025 — marking Korea's first first-in-human clinical trial for a bacteriophage therapeutic. A broader pipeline includes MP102 (chronic Pseudomonas RTI), MP201 (Klebsiella pneumoniae), and MP301 (Mycobacterium abscessus). MicrobiotiX also generates revenue through contract development and manufacturing services for third-party phage developers and supplies purified fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) products to Korean university hospitals for C. difficile infection and related indications.

Commercially, MicrobiotiX pursues an enterprise sales-led motion through pharmaceutical co-development partnerships (LigaChem Biosciences, CJ BioScience), academic and clinical partnerships (UCSD IPATH, WAFCIRC/KATH in Ghana, Yonsei network), and direct CDMO service contracts. The company is privately held, venture-backed by repeat investors DSC Investment and Schmidt (collectively ~KRW 9B committed), and supplemented by a KRW 2.5B Ministry of Health and Welfare clinical grant. Total cumulative equity investment is approximately KRW 28 billion (~USD 21 million). The company has 11–50 employees and is positioned as a top-10 global bacteriophage producer by capacity.

Name

MicrobiotiX

Legal name

MICROBIOTIX CO., LTD.

Website

https://microbiotix.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MicrobiotiX is a Seoul-based clinical-stage biotech developing bacteriophage-based therapeutics for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, with a 300+ phage library, AI-driven PK/PD modeling platform, and cGMP manufacturing facility; lead candidate MP101 targets Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia in Phase 1.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bacteriophage Therapeutics

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbiome Manufacturing, Formulation & Delivery Technologies (encapsulation, spores, oral delivery) (HLAAAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Microbiome Analytics, Sequencing & Bioinformatics Platforms (HLAAAFAI)

Keywords

• Bacteriophage therapeutics
• Antimicrobial resistance drugs
• Pharmaceutical CDMO services
• Microbiome therapeutics
• Infectious disease biologics

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Bacteriophage Therapeutic Development and Commercialization: Revenue from development and eventual commercialization of bacteriophage therapeutics for treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections. Currently advancing MP101 through Phase 1 clinical trials for acute pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
2. CDMO Services: Contract manufacturing and development services for other pharmaceutical companies and research institutions requiring bacteriophage production. Services include technology transfer, aseptic vial filling, and quality control testing in compliance with cGMP regulations.
3. Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) Products: Production and supply of FMT-derived microbiota products for clinical applications including treatment of C. difficile infection and other conditions. Capsule formulation developed for oral administration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MicrobiotiX discovers, develops, and manufactures bacteriophage-based therapeutics to treat multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacterial infections, with lead candidate MP101 advancing through Phase 1 clinical trials for acute pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The company operates an integrated platform spanning a proprietary library of 300+ lytic bacteriophages, an AI-driven in silico PK/PD prediction module, and a cGMP-certified manufacturing facility. It also offers contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) services for other phage therapy developers and produces fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) products for clinical use.

Product overview

MicrobiotiX is a clinical-stage biotech company developing bacteriophage-based therapeutics for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The company operates a proprietary platform consisting of a bacteriophage library (~300 lytic phages targeting MDR gram-negative pathogens), the CUSTOS in silico AI-driven computational module for PK/PD prediction and phage cocktail optimization, and a GMP-certified manufacturing facility for clinical production. Lead product MP101 (bacteriophage cocktail targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa) received IND approval for Phase 1 clinical trial in Korea in October 2025. Additional pipeline candidates include MP102 (chronic RTI), MP201 (Klebsiella pneumoniae), and MP301 (Mycobacterium abscessus). The company also provides CDMO services and previously offered FMT products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MP101
• MP102 Bacteriophage therapeutic candidate targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa for chronic respiratory tract infection, currently in pipeline development.
• MP201 Bacteriophage therapeutic candidate targeting Klebsiella pneumoniae for acute respiratory tract infection, currently in preclinical/early development stage.
• MP301 Bacteriophage therapeutic candidate targeting nontuberculous Mycobacteria (Mycobacterium abscessus) for chronic respiratory tract infection, currently in pipeline development.
• CDMO Services (Contract Development and Manufacturing) Contract bacteriophage manufacturing and development services for pharmaceutical companies and research institutions using the company's cGMP-certified facility. Services include technology transfer, aseptic vial filling (10R, 10ml vials), quality control testing, and storage in compliance with cGMP regulations. Monthly production capacity approximately 200,000 vials.
• FMT (Fecal Microbiota Transplantation) Products Fecal microbiota transplantation products producing purified live microbiota from screened healthy donors, provided in oral capsule form for gastrointestinal treatments including C. difficile infection, inflammatory bowel disease, and other microbiome-related conditions. Distributed to Korean university hospitals and clinical institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Phase 1 clinical trial initiated for MP101 in acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Africa Centre for Innovative Research and Care (WAFCIRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Strategic research collaboration for clinical advancement of bacteriophage-based therapies in Africa. MicrobiotiX to provide GMP-manufactured therapeutic candidates and funding; WAFCIRC with KATH and 4 clinical sites to conduct studies. Goal of expanding phage therapy access across African regions with high AMR burden.
• LigaChem BiosciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2024Joint research agreement for bacteriophage treatment development targeting MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa. LigaChem secured clinical-stage co-development participation option and preferential negotiation rights for commercialization. Comprehensive cooperation including phage cocktail and antibiotic combination therapy research.
• Johnson & Johnson JLABS San DiegominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Participation in JLABS incubator program in San Diego for mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities within the global biotech ecosystem.
• UCSD IPATH CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 November 2022Joint research development for bacteriophage-based treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. MicrobiotiX provides phage library candidates with optimized CMC; UCSD IPATH handles US patient recruitment, FDA approvals, and clinical execution. Clinical data sharing arrangement for US compassionate use cases.
• CJ (CJ제일제당/CJ 바이오사이언스)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2021MOU for joint development of superbug infection treatments. CJ developing production bacterial strains for phage manufacturing using their amino acid production expertise. Collaboration on preclinical and clinical development targeting carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections.
• CheckEnCare (체크엔케어)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 March 2021Partnership for expanding FMT (Fecal Microbiota Transplantation) treatment access. MicrobiotiX produces purified microbiota from screened donors; CheckEnCare handles donor recruitment, hospital distribution, and patient education. Free screening for donors with compensation provided.
• Korean Ministry of Health and WelfarecoreOthersSelected for 'Infectious Disease Prevention and Treatment Technology Development Project' receiving KRW 2.5 billion clinical grant to support Phase 1 trial of MP101 - Korea's first human bacteriophage clinical trial.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Adaptive Phage Therapeutics: US-based clinical-stage phage therapy company developing personalized phage treatments for MDR bacterial infections, including P. aeruginosa. Highly comparable to MicrobiotiX in therapeutic modality, target pathogens, and stage of development.
• BiomX: Israel-based clinical-stage company developing phage-based therapeutics for chronic and acute infections including P. aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients. Directly comparable in phage cocktail approach and gram-negative pathogen focus.
• Locus Biosciences: US-based clinical-stage company developing engineered phage-derived antimicrobials (crispr-enhanced phages) targeting MDR bacteria. Comparable in therapeutic modality and gram-negative focus, with slightly different technical approach (engineered vs natural lytic).
• Armata Pharmaceuticals: US-based clinical-stage phage therapy company developing both natural and engineered phage candidates for P. aeruginosa and S. aureus infections. Comparable in indication focus and clinical-stage status.
• iNtRON Bio: South Korea-based biotech developing bacteriophage-based therapeutics (SAL200, etc.) and endolysin products for MDR infections. Closest Korean peer and most direct regional comparable to MicrobiotiX in modality and geography.
• Pherecydes Pharma: France-based clinical-stage phage therapy company with multiple phage candidates targeting P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and E. coli. Comparable in natural lytic phage approach and indication focus.
• ContraFect: US-based clinical-stage company developing lysin-based antimicrobials (phage-derived enzymes) for serious infections including S. aureus bacteremia. Adjacent modality (phage-derived proteins rather than whole phages) but directly comparable therapeutic focus.

Emerging players

• Eligo Bioscience: France-based biotech developing engineered phage and phage-derived products (eligobiotics) using synthetic biology to target specific bacteria. Comparable in microbial therapeutics platform but focused more on engineered than natural phages.

Broad incumbents

• Shionogi: Japan-based global pharmaceutical company with a major anti-infectives franchise including cefiderocol (an antibiotic for MDR gram-negative infections). Represents the broader incumbent competitive threat — traditional antibiotic developers MicrobiotiX will compete against clinically.
• BioNTech: Germany-based biotech that acquired PhagoMed to build a phage therapeutics platform. Comparable as a major biopharma now operating in phage therapy with significantly larger resources than MicrobiotiX.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors14 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MicrobiotiX