OptiBiotix Health, a world leader in microbiome modulation, has entered into a scale-up and manufacturing deal with Tata Chemicals Food and Nutrition division. The agreement will grant Tata the right to scale-up and exclusively manufacture OptiBiotix’s cholesterol-reducing prebiotic, LPGOS, for use in food and over-the-counter (OTC) products. This new agreement follows a number of other high-profile international agreements OptiBiotix has made during 2017, including with leading food manufacturer and distributer, SACCO.
Previous research presented by OptiBiotix at Probiota and the International Scientific Conference on Probiotics and Prebiotics (IPC) in 2017 has shown that LPGOS is able to modify an individual’s microbiome in order to reduce cholesterol. A study conducted using gut models showed that LPGOS increases the growth and biological activity of cholesterol-reducing bacteria, LP-LDL®, leading to a threefold increase in cholesterol-reduction [i]. A separate study showed that LPGOS is able to modify an individual’s microbiome and reduce cholesterol by up to 22% [ii].
The LPGOS prebiotic was synthesised from ß-galactosidases expressed by LPLDL® bacteria using OptiBiotix’s cutting-edge reverse enzyme technology. LPGOS has been found to be heat-resistant and stable during processing, suggesting that it could be used as an ingredient in a wide range of food products to help reduce cardiovascular risk factors and improve health.
Stephen O’Hara, CEO of OptiBiotix, commented, “This agreement with Tata Chemicals creates the opportunity to scale up and manufacture LPGOS, the galacto-oligosaccharide produced by our LP-LDL® strain. The combination of OptiBiotix’s ability to develop ingredients which can modify an individual’s microbiome, and Tata’s research and manufacturing expertise, international reputation, and global reach, places both companies at the forefront of global microbiome research and product development.”
“I believe we are fast approaching the next stage in the development of the microbiome in healthcare, where scientists have the ability engineer components of the microbiome to prevent, manage and treat many of today’s chronic lifestyle diseases. This agreement takes us further down the path of translating the science of the microbiome field into products which will improve the health and wellbeing of people around the world”
Tata Chemicals is a global science company active in industrial chemicals, food and nutrition, and agriculture business, and is listed on the Indian Stock Exchange. It is part of the Tata Group of Companies which employs over 660,000 employees with annual revenues in 2015/16 of $103.51 billion. Tata Chemicals’ Food and Nutrition business is a major supplier of salts, spices, and nutritional solutions to the food, beverage, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries within India, and increasingly across global markets.
The human microbiome
The human digestive tract contains a complex and diverse ecosystem of trillions of bacteria. Recently, advances in molecular and analytical techniques (metagenomics, metabolomics) have permitted identification and quantitation of species and strains of bacteria that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract, their metabolic activity, and interactions with the human host. These studies have provided greater insight into the role of gut and their metabolites in health and disease. NIH https://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/index
Web MD http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/what-your-gut-bacteria-say-your-health#1
About OptiBiotix
OptiBiotix was formed in March 2012 by Stephen O’Hara to develop compounds which modify the human microbiome – the collective genome of the microbes in the body – to prevent and manage human disease.
The aim of OptiBiotix is to discover and develop microbial strains, compounds and formulations, which modulate the human microbiome and can be used as food ingredients and supplements or active compounds for the prevention and management of human metabolic diseases, examples of which include obesity, cholesterol and lipid distribution and diabetes.
OptiBiotix has established a pipeline of microbiome modulators that can impact on lipid and cholesterol management, energy harvest and appetite suppression. The development pipeline is fuelled by its proprietary OptiScreen® and OptiBiotic® platform technologies designed to identify metabolic pathways and compounds that impact on human physiology and bring potential health benefits. These platforms are applicable across a wider range of other human diseases.
www.optibiotix.com
