ISABELLE DE CREMOUX
CEO of Seventure Partners

The human microbiome, ‘the flora and fauna of our bodies’, has been at the centre of scientific investigations for hundreds of years, but clinical research has significantly increased in the last decade and accelerated further in recent years. Today, we have major (virtual) conferences with full focus on this sector, and the number of ongoing clinical trials in this area is now close to 2000. Despite the pandemic, 2020 saw an unprecedented number of new microbiome-related patents granted, exceeding 600.

With this recent uptake in scientific research, the amount of evidence showing that the human microbiome plays a crucial role in our health, has grown exponentially. Historically, gut and gastrointestinal disorders have been focal points, but emphasis has lately been widened to other indications, such as obesity, immunology, skin health, as well as infectious diseases - currently there are about 40 trials exploring the link between COVID-19 and the microbiome.

As we now understand, frequently cited co-morbidities for COVID-19, such as obesity or diabetes, exacerbate the course of the disease. These underlying conditions have also ...