Biotechnology companies Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE:DNA) and Synlogic Inc (Nasdaq:SYBX) announced on Thursday a new clinical drug candidate for the treatment of gout.

The new drug candidate, SYNB2081, is a Synthetic Biotic designed to lower uric acid.

Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that occurs when excess uric acid in the body forms crystals in the joints. Symptoms include intense joint pain, inflammation and redness, and limited range of motion in the affected joints.

SYNB2081 is the second product to advance to clinical development through a research collaboration between Synlogic and Ginkgo, following the investigational new drug candidate SYNB1353 for the potential treatment of homocystinuria (HCU).

"With our second drug candidate into clinical development, this not only demonstrates the value of combining Ginkgo's platform with our Synthetic Biotic platform, but also highlights the potential to develop Synthetic Biotics across a range of diseases, giving us the potential to provide meaningful new treatment options to patients in need," said Dr David Hava, chief scientific officer of Synlogic.