Caelus Health, ProDigest, IBBL and BaseClear enter a European collaboration aimed at preventing onset of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Amsterdam, Leiden (NL), Gent (BE), and Luxemburg – May 22nd, 2018

The kick-off meeting of the Eurostars-funded PROMISE project, a collaboration between Caelus Health and BaseClear from The Netherlands, ProDigest from Belgium and IBBL from Luxemburg, was held on the 7th of May. The aim of the project is to propel clinical research and treatment of Metabolic Syndrome forward and develop a novel, microbiota-based treatment that could slow down or even prevent the development of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Through Fecal Microbiota Transplantation, Caelus Health has identified a bacterium, Eubacterium hallii, that is able to increase insulin sensitivity in people that have been diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome. One of the objectives of the project is to further elucidate the mode of action. At ProDigest, innovative in vitro methods are being developed that will support the study of the influence of E. hallii on the gut microbiota.

The programme will include the development of surrogate biomarkers for reliable (early) diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome. The identification and validation of these biomarkers will be performed by IBBL. The expectation is that these biomarkers can in future also be used for clinical research and possibly serve as an alternative for the burdensome clamping techniques that are currently still the gold standard for measuring insulin production and resistance.

The Dutch company BaseClear will assist in developing innovative methods for performing clinical research, which include both logistics and patient selection. The final part of the project entails a clinical study that will integrate all the individual aspects of the R&D project. This approach is primarily aimed at improving treatment of Metabolic Syndrome, but will also provide methods to facilitate clinical research in other conditions that involve the microbiota.

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About Caelus Health: Caelus Health is an Amsterdam-based biotech company. Caelus is dedicated to the development and commercialisation of functional food and pharmaceutical products for the prevention and early treatment of cardio-metabolic diseases. Based on the strong correlation between the intestinal microbiome and health, the company is developing an entirely new class of microbiota- based therapeutics for the reduction of insulin resistance and prevention of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in people with metabolic syndrome (MetS). The first product is in clinical phase of development and is based on Eubacterium hallii. For more information on Caelus Health, visit www.caelushealth.com

About ProDigest: ProDigest is a product leader in the development of unique laboratory models of the human and animal gastrointestinal tract (Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem – SHIME®). Complementary to in vivo studies, these models allow to obtain unique insight in gut processes associated to the intestinal fate, metabolism and bioavailability of actives and to study the complete gut microbiota under controlled conditions and its link with human and animal health. ProDigest is globally active as a service provider for food and pharmaceutical companies and since 2014 also installs its technology in selected R&D facilities around the world. For more information on ProDigest, visit www.prodigest.eu

About the Integrated BioBank of Luxembourg: IBBL (Integrated BioBank of Luxembourg) is an autonomous not-for-profit institute dedicated to supporting biomedical research for the benefit of patients. IBBL is an integrated research infrastructure offering bioservices, including the collection, processing, analysis and storage of biological samples and associated data. In addition, IBBL carries out research to optimise biospecimen processing and certify biospecimen quality. IBBL’s quality management system is conceived to be compliant with NF S96-900:2011, ISO 17025:2005, ISO 17043:2010 and IBBL is ISO 9001:2008 certified. IBBL’s mission is to provide biospecimen related services and a biobanking infrastructure for applied medical research. IBBL’s vision is to be an international centre of excellence in biobanking and a valued partner in developing better healthcare solutions. IBBL is an autonomous institute, organised within the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH). For more information, please visit our corporate website (www.ibbl.lu) or our public website (www.biobank.lu).

About BaseClear: BaseClear is an independent genomics service laboratory and service provider.  BaseClear’s enthusiastic, 70-strong team works on development of DNA technology from its laboratory in Leiden Bioscience Park. This technology is applied in contract research projects for BaseClear’s customers who are active in many sectors, from the food and pharmaceutical industries to plant breeding. Innovation and quality are the top priorities in the services provided by this specialist laboratory. In terms of innovation, BaseClear works with many knowledge partners; quality is assured by compliance with ISO and GMP quality standards. From more information on BaseClear, visit www.baseclear.com

For more information on PROMISE please contact: Jos F.M.L. Seegers; j.seegers@caelushealth.com ; +31 6 24523741

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