BioMe Inc.
Making Breakthroughs in the Microbiome-Based Therapeutics Industry

Led by Sang Sun Yoon, a senior professor at Yonsei University College of Medicine, BioMe drives the path forward in discovering and developing new therapeutics. This medical research startup company seeks to change the treatment of complex medical conditions by developing microbiome-based live biotherapeutic products (LBP) for antibiotic-resistant infections and cardiovascular disorders.

Amongst the most formidable diseases to combat worldwide, the rise of pathogens evasive to antibiotic treatment has already become severe, claiming millions of lives each year. Concurrently, heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death, necessitating the urgency for alternative and innovative treatment modalities.

“Our approach centers on using commensal microbes in the human gut to target and treat antibiotic-resistant infections and cardiovascular diseases. We are developing and testing novel LBPs by harnessing the symbiotic relationship between these microbes and the human body,” says Yoon, founder and CEO of BioMe. The company’s therapeutic products have already shown promising results in treating antibiotic-resistant infections and reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors in pre-clinical settings.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) stands as a notable remedy for illnesses stemming from antibiotic-resistant pathogens, such as vancomycin-resistant enterococci and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. However, FMT's application is limited to a single occurrence, which carries a heightened risk of recurrence. BioMe's strategy involves enhancing this scenario by utilizing extensive microbiome analysis to pinpoint and isolate four pivotal commensal microbes (referred to as pipeline name: BM111). The goal is to create an oral capsule-based alternative to FMT, offering a more sustainable treatment approach. The BM111 pipeline emerged victorious in the pre-clinical competition held at the Microbiome Connect Asia 2023 conference in this May.

Recognising the global impact of cardiovascular disease, BioMe is also studying and developing innovative treatments that target key biomarkers like trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). The company’s research has led to the discovery of an enzyme-producing microbe capable of effectively and completely breaking down the harmful metabolite TMAO in the intestine (pipeline name: BM109). This novel treatment can decrease the TMAO levels in the blood, potentially mitigating the risk of cardiovascular events.

BM109 also focuses on the potential benefits for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This unique microbe could also help people with poor kidney function by quickly eliminating excess TMAO from their bloodstream, broadening the potential applications of microbiome-based treatment. It is widely recognized that patients with CKD also experience complications related to their cardiovascular system. The company’s strategy to develop microbial therapy for cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease enables it to comprehensively explain the microbe’s functionality, which is a crucial advantage in the microbiome industry.

In its quest to find a simpler treatment for these diseases, BioMe has recently found success by collaborating with renowned pharmaceutical company Celltrion to co-develop an antibiotic-resistant infection remedy. This strategic alliance highlights BioMe’s unique strengths, particularly its consortium approach, which combines commensal microbes for enhanced potency in clinical trials.

The company also has a proprietary iMEC platform to perform a four-stage R&D approach, contributing to its success in microbiome therapeutics. BioMe’s scientists and technicians use this platform to start interrogating microbes, set up a study methodology, and experiment and confirm the efficacy of its medications. This allows for systematic identification, screening and validation of microbial candidates, resulting in a robust platform to develop LBPs. To ensure a holistic and comprehensive approach to product development and approval, BioMe employs a highly qualified team with 70 years of combined expertise in the pharmaceutical industry. This team comprises three distinguished PhDs and an expert in regulatory affairs.

Biome’s pioneering efforts in microbiome-based live biotherapeutics offer hope and lifesaving treatments to patients worldwide. Pivoting antibiotic-resistant infections and cardiovascular disease, the company’s innovative approach and strategic collaborations position it as a frontrunner in the microbiome industry. Its advances in R&D and the possibility for transformative and promising new therapies make BioMe a company to watch at the forefront of medical innovation. The medical research company is currently looking to collaborate with more pharmaceutical companies to bring its LBPs to market.