Q&A with Steve Ruston, Chief Executive Officer

What is Persica’s mission?

Our mission is to help people suffering with chronic Low Back Pain (cLBP) – a debilitating condition that significantly affects the quality of life of millions of people, many of whom are not helped by existing treatments.

We are developing a radical new treatment for a subgroup of patients who have cLBP with Modic changes. These Modic changes can be seen with an MRI scan. Our drug, PP353, is a non-opioid, two-dose treatment, which addresses the underlying cause of this cLBP – an infection – rather than just the symptoms.

Can you tell us a bit about Persica’s story so far?

Persica emerged from groundbreaking academic clinical and medical research conducted in Denmark that established a link between chronic back pain and bacterial infections in the spinal disc. This was revolutionary at the time and significant clinical trials were carried out using oral antibiotics. For patients who responded, the results were exceptionally positive.

Persica Pharmaceuticals was founded to advance this research and overcome the limitations of the initial approach, which required high doses of antibiotics delivered over long periods.

How did you personally become involved in Persica?

I was appointed CEO in 2013 after an initial meeting with Dr Eliot Forster, one of the co-founders of Persica, following the sale of my previous biotech venture, Prolysis Ltd.

The initial clinical evidence was very compelling, and I was eager to apply my experience from big pharma and biotech to progress the concept and transform the treatment landscape for patients. We rapidly built drug development capability by leveraging the experience of pharmaceutical industry veterans and partnering strategically with contract research organisations.

From the onset, we have been fortunate to have had unwavering support from private investors many of whom are patients or medical colleagues, who share our commitment to transforming the treatment of chronic Low Back Pain.

What differentiates Persica’s treatment from others?

Persica is targeting the cause of cLBP: underlying bacterial infection. Unlike conventional approaches that manage symptoms, our drug enables the infection to clear, reducing inflammation, pain and disability at the source. Our focus will be on patients who have not responded to standard treatments like physiotherapy, and for those using strong analgesics, like opioids, to manage their pain.

Where are you with the development of PP353?

 We completed a Phase 1b clinical trial last year and results from this will be available in Q1 2025. Success in this trial, which is powered for efficacy, could enable rapid progression to registrational clinical trials – and if that goes well, the product could be available within five years.