AceBiome will be doing so through joint research with Danish firm Bactolife, which has attracted industry attention for its concept of using binding proteins to bind and neutralize harmful metabolites, in turn enhancing gut resilience. Binding proteins are fragments of immunoglobulins that can be found naturally in camel’s milk. In commercial settings, binding proteins can be produced via precision fermentation.
Bactolife has so far attracted investment from the Gates Foundation, Novo Holdings and Athos, as well as a €30 million (US$35 million) Series B financing round led by Cross Border Impact Ventures and EIFO (the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark) to support the commercialization of its binding protein products branded Helm, first in the US followed by Europe and Asia.
AceBiome announced its joint development agreement with Bactolife last week (January 26).
Speaking to NutraIngredients, Myeong Hee Kim, founder and CEO of AceBiome, said the joint research could explore the synergies between probiotics and binding proteins and how they could lead to the development of health functional foods that support gut health holistically.
“Gut health is the natural starting point, and both companies share the belief that it is a central pillar of human health. At the same time, the collaboration is intended to explore broader dimensions of overall health through novel ingredient development.”
AceBiome is known for its body-fat-reduction probiotic strain Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 and related products under the BNRThin brand.
The initial focus of the collaboration will explore different combinations of binding proteins and probiotics, as well as the scientific rationale for the combination.
The probiotics to be studied would come from AceBiome’s accumulated strain bank.
“We have built a considerable strain bank, systematically selected and characterized using our screening expertise. We discover future products from our strain bank along with other sources, identifying and developing high-value-added strains and metabolites,” she said. “With AceBiome’s strength in microbiome science and probiotics, this partnership combining binding proteins has strong potential to create added value for sustainable human health.”
Once sufficient preliminary work and evidence are in place, human trials or other joint studies will be considered.
“Partnering with AceBiome in Asia-Pacific, a highly reputable and market-leading supplement brand, allows us to pair Helm Binding Proteins with a probiotic in a market like Korea, which is at the forefront of probiotic innovation,” said Sebastian Søderberg, CEO of Bactolife. “This collaboration is a significant step towards delivering a thoughtfully designed, research-backed supplement and making targeted, science-driven gut support more accessible.”
Potential timeline
Asked the timeline for product launches, Kim said that the collaboration was still in the early development phase, but current expectations were pointing towards 2030 for product launches.
“As the collaboration is still in the development phase, details regarding the regulatory pathway and the design of human trials are yet to be finalized. As a result, the exact product launch timeline remains uncertain, although current expectations point toward around 2030. The path forward will be guided by scientific and regulatory progress, and relevant updates will be communicated to the market as appropriate.”
Lead up to the collaboration
NutraIngredients understands that AceBiome and Bactolife first connected at an industry gathering in Singapore last year and continued discussions based on shared scientific interest.
While the focus of the joint research is on gut health, the combination of probiotics and binding proteins could also potentially reduce the reliance on antibiotics.
“The partnership developed through discussions driven by scientific interest and the opportunity to bring together both teams’ strengths,” Kim said. “This dialogue also took place against the backdrop of evolving global health priorities, including antimicrobial resistance. Science-first innovation and food-based solutions are gaining attention as part of wider efforts to reduce unnecessary reliance on antibiotics.”
