Patients with erosive esophagitis fail to respond to existing treatments with proton pump inhibitors in almost a third of cases. Vonoprazan promises to provide adequate treatment of these patients. In addition current regimens for eradicating H. pylori infection have diminished in efficacy with the standard proton pump inhibitors. Antibiotic regimens used in combination with Vonoprazan have been shown to be effective in eradicating infection in more than 90% of patients.

Phathom combines the talents of an experienced team of clinical development experts with those of experts in new company creation backed by a strong syndicate of investors. New companies so constituted have proved to be highly efficient and resourceful in developing new medicines to bring them to patients quickly and with minimum of expense.

Japan has proved to be a fertile environment for the discovery of new medicines because of its strong science base and deep knowledge of Pharmaceutical development. To date Japan has not been less successful in translating these qualities into evolution of a vibrant venture-backed biotech sector. Phathom and one of it’s investors, Catalys Pacific, provides one opportunity which we hope will help to bring about change in this situation. It also illustrates how global large pharmaceutical companies are increasingly partnering their assets with start-up companies like Phathom to develop some of their assets taking advantage of alternative sources of funding as well as the productivity of a focused experienced team unfettered by the usual impediments encountered in large companies.