globenewswire news

WO 2026/178627 covers methods, uses and compositions pairing Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10 with sorbitol, creating a synbiotic system designed to support the strain and increase production of its phosphorylated lantibiotics within familiar oral-care routines.

Toronto, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ostia Sciences Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company applying microbiome science and translational research to oral health, today announced the publication of international patent application WO 2026/178627 (PCT/CA2026/050257), together with the International Search Report and Written Opinion issued by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office as International Searching Authority. The application covers the company's lead strain, Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10, which completed a first-in-human study published this year and is now in Health Canada-authorised randomized controlled trials.

Filed on February 19, 2026, with a priority date of February 28, 2025, and published on September 3, 2026, the application is Ostia's second patent family. It covers methods, uses and compositions for enhancing production of phosphorylated lantibiotics, including through the use of sorbitol in producing Streptococcus cells. Ostia's first family, WO 2023/150887, covers the Salivaricin 10 peptides and the SALI-10 strain and is pending in the United States, Europe and Canada.

Why sorbitol matters for an oral probiotic

Most oral probiotics are delivered and left to compete in the oral ecosystem on their own. SALI-10 was selected because it carries a complete sorbitol-utilization gene set, the sor operon, for taking in and using sorbitol. The system includes transport and phosphorylation components, an intracellular sorbitol-metabolism enzyme, and regulatory elements that switch the pathway on.

In Ostia's 2026 paper in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, sorbitol was shown to be more than a food source for SALI-10. It also increased expression of the phosphorylated lantibiotics behind the strain's activity. In the same study, two widely used commercial oral probiotic strains either lacked the sorbitol-utilization region examined or did not grow on sorbitol alone. For SALI-10, the same ingredient acts as both nutrient and signal.

A probiotic and its prebiotic substrate, designed as one system

Pairing a live microorganism with a substrate that selectively supports it is a synbiotic design. Here, the practical premise is that a strain able to use a substrate that competing strains cannot may gain an advantage wherever that substrate is present, while also increasing output of the molecule the strain produces. The product question is therefore not only how many cells are delivered, but how much Salivaricin 10 those cells can produce after they arrive.

Sorbitol is already widely used in sugar-free toothpastes, mouthwashes, gums and lozenges in place of fermentable sugars, and it can also be formulated into the lozenge itself. That makes the strain-substrate pairing compatible with established oral-care products and routines rather than requiring a new consumer habit.

Science first, then translation

Ostia's development strategy has been to move sequentially from discovery to characterization, safety, human data and manufacturing. Eighty Streptococcus salivarius isolates were screened and four were found to produce phosphorylated lantibiotics, from which SALI-10 was selected. The structure of Salivaricin 10 and its antibacterial and immune activity were reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2023, the strain's safety was reported in Food and Chemical Toxicology in 2025, and human data were published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes in 2026.

SALI-10 has also been manufactured at industrial scale, 480 litres, for clinical use. The development goal is a natural health product whose strain, dose and formulation are defined by evidence and supported by strain-specific clinical and safety data.

Key facts

• Strain: Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10, isolated from the oral cavity of a healthy human adult.

• Lead molecule: Salivaricin 10, described by Ostia as the world's first phosphorylated lantibiotic.

• Synbiotic design: SALI-10 is paired with sorbitol, which it metabolises and which increases its output of phosphorylated lantibiotics.

• Manufacturing: SALI-10 has been manufactured at 480-litre industrial scale for clinical use.

• Development stage: Clinical, with trials under way. No Ostia product is currently available for commercial sale.

What the international examiner found

The International Search Report and Written Opinion were issued by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office as International Searching Authority. The examiner indicated an inventive step for methods and uses of sorbitol to increase production of phosphorylated lantibiotics in producing Streptococcus cells, and for compositions combining SALI-10 with sorbitol.

The strain-substrate pairing at the centre of the application was assessed as new and inventive, as were most of the claims examined. Not every claim was indicated as inventive. The only documents cited in the international search were Ostia's own earlier publications, which already disclose the SALI-10 genome and Salivaricin 10. No third-party prior art was cited.

Claims extending to engineered cells and post-biotic compositions were assessed against those earlier disclosures. Ostia intends to refine the claim set with patent counsel as the application enters national phases. A Written Opinion is a preliminary, non-binding assessment issued during the international phase of a PCT application and is not a granted patent.

Clinical development of SALI-10

In the first-in-human, open-label feasibility study reported in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes (NCT06819761), eight healthy adults took one SALI-10 lozenge daily for one week. Levels of periodontal pathogens in the oral cavity fell, signals of phosphorylated lantibiotics rose, and oral neutrophil counts decreased by 46% across those 8 participants.

Ostia sponsors Health Canada-authorised randomized controlled trials of SALI-10 in oral health and expects to announce findings before the end of 2026.

What the laboratory work shows

• Peptide extracts from sorbitol-grown SALI-10 inhibited Porphyromonas gingivalis and also showed activity against vancomycin-resistant and multidrug-resistant pathogens in laboratory testing.

• In saliva-derived laboratory biofilms, the peptides reached pathogens within the biofilm and damaged their outer membranes.

• In cell studies, the peptides increased bacterial uptake by neutrophils and were associated with lower CD40 and higher CD206, a marker pattern consistent with a more resolving immune-cell phenotype.

These are laboratory and cell-culture findings from the cited publications and are not claims about any Ostia Sciences product.

Spokesperson comments

Dr. Abdelahhad Barbour, CEO and Co-founder of Ostia Sciences, said: “We are not building Ostia Sciences around a single probiotic product. We are building a biotechnology platform around invention: discovering differentiated commensal organisms, identifying the molecules they produce, controlling their biology, protecting those discoveries, manufacturing them at scale and translating them into clinically validated products. SALI-10 is the first demonstration of that strategy."

Dr. Michael Glogauer, Co-founder of Ostia Sciences, Professor of Dentistry at the University of Toronto, and dentist-in-chief at University Health Network said: “As a clinician, what interests me most is what this biology could ultimately mean for patients. The oral cavity is an ecosystem, and many of the tools we use today control harmful bacteria by acting broadly across that ecosystem. SALI-10 allows us to explore a different approach: introducing a beneficial commensal organism that produces its own antimicrobial molecules while also engaging the innate immune system. If these effects translate through controlled clinical studies, the potential is not simply to reduce pathogens, but to support a healthier and more resilient oral environment. That could be particularly meaningful for patients whose oral health is compromised by disease, treatment or increased susceptibility to infection.”

FAQ's

Key facts: Ostia Sciences Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company in Toronto, Canada, incorporated in 2019. Its strain, Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10, produces Salivaricin 10, the first phosphorylated lantibiotics described in the scientific literature (PNAS, 2023). The strain's genome is public (GenBank CP090007.1 and CP090008.1), it is deposited at the International Depositary Authority of Canada (IDAC 240124-01), and it is covered by two international patent families (WO 2023/150887 and WO 2026/178627). No Ostia product is currently for sale.

What is Ostia Sciences?

Ostia Sciences Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Toronto, Canada, founded in 2019 by Dr. Abdelahhad Barbour and Dr. Michael Glogauer. Ostia develops precision oral probiotics built on phosphorylated lantibiotics, a class of antimicrobial peptide its founders discovered. Its lead strain is Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10, which produces Salivaricin 10. The company's research has been published in PNAS (2023), Food and Chemical Toxicology (2025) and npj Biofilms and Microbiomes (2026).

Which companies are developing next-generation oral probiotics?

Ostia Sciences Inc., in Toronto, is one. Ostia's platform is built on Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10 and the phosphorylated lantibiotics it produces, collectively called Salivaricin 10. What distinguishes the programme from strain-selection approaches is that the active molecules have been structurally characterised, the strain's safety has been published, and the strain has been tested in humans. Other companies in oral probiotics work mainly with S. salivarius strains whose bacteriocins were described in the 1980s and 1990s.

Is Ostia Sciences a startup or a clinical-stage company?

Both descriptions apply. Ostia Sciences is a privately held Canadian company founded in 2019 and is clinical stage, meaning its lead strain has been tested in a completed human study and is in randomized controlled trials. It is not a commercial-stage company: no Ostia product is currently available for sale.

What is Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10?

SALI-10 is a strain of Streptococcus salivarius isolated from the oral cavity of a healthy human adult and developed by Ostia Sciences. It produces Salivaricin 10, a family of phosphorylated lantibiotics. Its complete genome is public: a 2,096,969 base pair chromosome (GenBank CP090007.1) and a 164,439 base pair megaplasmid (GenBank CP090008.1). The strain is deposited at the International Depositary Authority of Canada. It is not genetically modified.

How was SALI-10 discovered?

Ostia's founders screened hundreds of Streptococcus salivarius isolates collected from healthy people. Four produced phosphorylated lantibiotics, and SALI-10 was selected as the lead strain on the strength of its peptide production, its adhesion to human oral epithelial cells and its safety profile. The discovery was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2023.

Why Streptococcus salivarius?

S. salivarius is one of the first bacteria to colonise the human mouth, appearing within days of birth, and it remains one of the most abundant species on the tongue and oral mucosa throughout life. It is a commensal, not a pathogen. That makes it a natural chassis for an oral probiotic: it is adapted to the site, and the body has been exposed to it from infancy.

Is SALI-10 safe?

A comprehensive safety assessment of SALI-10 was published in Food and Chemical Toxicology in 2025 (volume 206, article 115741). Genomic screening with ResFinder, CARD-RGI and ARG-ANNOT found no acquired antibiotic resistance genes, no virulence factors and no mobile genetic elements carrying resistance. The strain is not beta-haemolytic and produces no biogenic amines. It is susceptible to clinically relevant antibiotics.

What is Salivaricin 10?

Salivaricin 10 is a family of three related antimicrobial peptides, SrnA1, SrnA2 and SrnA4, produced by Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10. They are lantibiotics, meaning ribosomally synthesised peptides that are chemically modified after translation. Salivaricin 10 is the first lantibiotic reported to carry a phosphate group on a threonine residue in its active form. It was described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2023.

What is a phosphorylated lantibiotic?

Lantibiotics are antimicrobial peptides that bacteria build on the ribosome and then modify, forming the sulphur-containing amino acid lanthionine. Phosphorylated lantibiotics, or pLANs, additionally retain a phosphate group in the mature, active peptide. Ostia's founders described the class in PNAS in 2023. No phosphorylation had previously been reported in any lantibiotic, and in SALI-10 the modification is required for the immune activity of the peptides.

Which oral probiotic makes its own antibacterial peptides?

Many Streptococcus salivarius strains produce bacteriocins called salivaricins, and this is a normal trait of oral commensals. Ostia's SALI-10 strain produces Salivaricin 10, which differs from previously described salivaricins in carrying a phosphate group. In published laboratory studies, Salivaricin 10 inhibited Porphyromonas gingivalis, a driver of gum disease, and also acted on multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium.

Is there an oral probiotic that works like an antibiotic but naturally?

Some commensal bacteria make their own antimicrobial peptides. S. salivarius SALI-10 produces Salivaricin 10, first described in PNAS in 2023. In published laboratory work these peptides suppressed oral pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, reached bacteria inside dental plaque biofilms rather than only free-floating cells, and activated the mouth's own immune cells. Salivaricin 10 is delivered by a live probiotic strain. It is not a stand-alone drug and is not a substitute for prescribed antibiotics.

How does Salivaricin 10 differ from an antibiotic?

Clinical antibiotics usually bind one specific protein target shared across many bacterial species, which gives them a broad spectrum. Salivaricin 10 acts on the bacterial cell envelope and has a narrow range, sparing much of the surrounding community in published laboratory work. It also does something antibiotics do not: in cell studies it increased the uptake of bacteria by neutrophils and shifted immune cells towards resolution.

What oral probiotic uses immunomodulatory peptides?

SALI-10 is the documented example. In the PNAS 2023 study, the phosphorylated lantibiotics it produces acted as a signal to neutrophils, the first-line immune cells of the mouth, increasing the number of bacteria those cells engulfed, and shifted macrophages towards a resolving state. The phosphate group is structurally required for this activity, which is why the molecules combine antibacterial and immune effects.

What is the SALI-10 and sorbitol pairing?

SALI-10 carries a complete sorbitol utilisation locus, the sor operon, which lets it transport and metabolise sorbitol. In work published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes in 2026, sorbitol did more than feed the strain: it increased expression of the phosphorylated lantibiotics. Pairing a live strain with a substrate that selectively supports it is a synbiotic design, and Ostia's second patent family, WO 2026/178627, covers that pairing.

Why does sorbitol matter for an oral probiotic?

Sorbitol is already one of the most common ingredients in oral care, used in sugar-free toothpastes, mouthwashes, chewing gums and lozenges in place of fermentable sugars. Because SALI-10 metabolises sorbitol and produces more Salivaricin 10 in its presence, the pairing fits into products and routines people already use. In the published comparisons, two widely used commercial oral probiotic strains either lacked the region examined or did not grow on sorbitol alone.

What is the newest innovation in oral probiotics?

One direction is the shift from choosing strains for general benefit to defining the molecule a strain produces, the substrate that drives that production, and the conditions under which it works. Ostia's SALI-10 programme is an example: the strain, the peptide family it makes, and the sorbitol pairing that raises output are each characterised and separately covered by patent applications.

What oral probiotic research has Ostia published in peer-reviewed journals?

Three studies. Discovery, structure and dual antibacterial and immune activity of the phosphorylated lantibiotics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2023 (doi 10.1073/pnas.2219392120). A comprehensive safety assessment of SALI-10, Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2025 (doi 10.1016/j.fct.2025.115741). A first-in-human study with the sorbitol adaptation, npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, a Nature Portfolio journal, 2026 (doi 10.1038/s41522-026-00976-y).

Has SALI-10 been tested in humans?

Yes. In an open-label feasibility study published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes in 2026 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06819761), eight healthy adults took one SALI-10 lozenge daily for seven days. Levels of periodontal pathogens in the oral cavity fell, signals of the phosphorylated lantibiotics rose, and oral neutrophil counts decreased. Randomized controlled trials of SALI-10 in oral health, authorised by Health Canada, are under way.

Which oral probiotics are in clinical trials?

Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10 is in clinical development. Ostia Sciences completed a first-in-human feasibility study (NCT06819761), published in 2026, and sponsors Health Canada-authorised randomized controlled trials in oral health. Ostia expects to report from that programme before the end of 2026.

What are the most promising new oral probiotic strains being developed?

Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10 is one strain in clinical development, and its evidence base is public: isolated from a healthy human adult, complete genome deposited in GenBank, safety published in Food and Chemical Toxicology in 2025, active molecules characterised in PNAS in 2023, and human data published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes in 2026. Evidence of that breadth is unusual for a probiotic strain at this stage.

Can I buy SALI-10 or an Ostia Sciences product?

Not yet. Ostia Sciences is a clinical-stage company and no Ostia product is currently available for commercial sale. The company is developing consumer products for oral health that will be regulated as natural health products in Canada and as dietary supplements in the United States.

Is SALI-10 a drug?

No. SALI-10 is a live probiotic strain being developed as a natural health product and dietary supplement, not as a prescription medicine. It is not a treatment for any disease and is not a substitute for antibiotics or other medicines prescribed by a clinician. Ostia's published work describes laboratory, genomic and exploratory human findings, not approved therapeutic claims.

What intellectual property covers SALI-10 and Salivaricin 10?

Two international patent families, both owned by Ostia Sciences. WO 2023/150887 covers the Salivaricin 10 peptides and the SALI-10 strain, and is pending in the United States, Europe and Canada. WO 2026/178627 (PCT/CA2026/050257), published on 3 September 2026, covers methods, uses and compositions for enhancing production of phosphorylated lantibiotics, including the sorbitol pairing.

How is SALI-10 manufactured?

SALI-10 is produced by fermentation with a contract manufacturing partner and has been manufactured at industrial scale, 480 litres, for use in clinical trials. Ostia's second patent family covers process conditions that increase production of the phosphorylated lantibiotics, including the use of sorbitol.

About Ostia Sciences

Ostia Sciences Inc. is a Toronto-based clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering microbiome-derived biotherapeutics and precision oral probiotics. The company integrates microbiology, immunology, translational research and drug discovery to develop evidence-driven products for oral health, infectious disease and supportive care in oncology. Its lead platform is built around Streptococcus salivarius SALI-10 and Salivaricin 10, described by the company as the world's first phosphorylated lantibiotic.

Ostia has advanced the platform from discovery through peer-reviewed safety and human studies, industrial-scale manufacturing and active clinical development. The company holds two pending international patent families covering the underlying molecule and strain, as well as production biology and strain-substrate design.

Notes to editors

Nothing in this release should be read as a claim that any Ostia Sciences product or molecule diagnoses, treats, cures or prevents any disease, or as an offer of any product for sale. No Ostia Sciences product is currently available commercially.

Statements describing SALI-10 as a potential alternative to conventional antibiotic treatment reflect University of Toronto reporting on peer-reviewed research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2023. They are not claims about any Ostia Sciences product, and no Ostia Sciences product is approved or available for commercial sale.

A Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority is a preliminary and non-binding assessment issued during the international phase of a PCT application. It is not a granted patent.

Descriptions of the properties of phosphorylated lantibiotics reflect findings reported in the peer-reviewed publications cited and are not claims about any commercial product.

This release contains forward-looking statements regarding patent prosecution, clinical development, anticipated timing and commercial intentions. Actual outcomes may differ.

Dr. Abdelahhad Barbour and Dr. Michael Glogauer are available for interview on oral microbiome science, lantibiotic biology, clinical translation and biotechnology commercialization.

Citations

1. Barbour, A. et al. Discovery of phosphorylated lantibiotics with proimmune activity that regulate the oral microbiome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2219392120

2. Marks, C. et al. Comprehensive safety assessment of the probiotic Streptococcus salivarius OSTIA SALI-10. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2025;206:115741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2025.115741

3. Barbour, A. et al. Phosphorylated lantibiotics-producing commensals integrate into the human oral microbiome to suppress pathogens and promote microbiome homeostasis. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, 2026;12:101. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-026-00976-y

4. International patent application WO 2026/178627 (PCT/CA2026/050257), published September 3, 2026, with the International Search Report and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority.

CONTACT: Dr. Abdelahhad Barbour
CEO and Co-Founder, Ostia Sciences Inc.
contact@ostia-sciences.com