Laboratorios Columbia is a Mexican pharmaceutical company specializing in metabolic syndrome and will partner with Slimbiotics on product innovation, research and development, and quality and safety, said the companies in a press release.
On product innovation, they shared that they would work towards the joint development of “new, advanced nutraceutical products, including a product focused on liver health based on indications from Slimbiotics' first clinical study.”
A spokesperson for Slimbiotics told NutraIngredients that the clinical study “demonstrated significant improvements in liver steatosis (fat accumulation in the liver) among participants taking our probiotic compared to a placebo,” adding that a clinical study is currently underway in Mexico to further support the liver steatosis benefits before any product is released.
Carlos Quintanilla, VP of business development of Lab Columbia, commented: "Our shared vision of enhancing consumer health through innovative solutions makes this partnership a perfect fit. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration that will benefit Mexican consumers, particularly in the area of liver health."
History
Slimbiotics GmbH was founded in 2019 by Austrian entrepreneurs Helmut Essl and Alexander Schütz with the goal of developing plant-derived, clinically-backed biotics and making them available to consumers looking to support metabolic wellbeing.
Prior to Slimbiotics, Essl was the founder and CEO of HSO Health Care GmbH, a company offering the branded probiotic solution, Astarte, targeting women's urogenital health. Astarte was acquired by Chr. Hansen in 2020.
Slimbiotics has focused on research and commercialization of its Kimere-derived probiotics.
Kimere is an African fermented food, a type of millet-based porridge regularly consumed in a specific region near Mount Kenya in Africa. The naturally-occurring fermentation process of Kimere yields a variety of strains, most notably L. fermentum, and of those the most promising have been isolated.
The discovery of the strains began with a group of medical researchers, including a Kenyan-born PhD student, who were studying native African food sources that could improve the constellation of symptoms related to metabolic health, such as impaired glucose metabolism and insulin resistance.
The strains in Kimere were isolated and characterized for their anti-inflammatory and gut barrier enhancing properties to increase microbial diversity.
Commenting on the new partnership with Lab Columbia, Essl said: "This cooperation will enable us to combine our strengths and accelerate the development of innovative health products, including those targeting liver health. Together, we aim to make a significant impact on the Mexican health market."