Novartis Becomes Strategic Pharma Investor in Microbiome Investment Vehicle

14 Dec 2015 --- Seventure Partners, a European leader in financing innovation, has announced the completion of a new closing for Health for Life Capital, the first investment vehicle in the world to anticipate the microbiome revolution in the fields of health and nutrition, with Novartis Pharma AG agreeing to participate. This closing will increase the total amount of funds available to €160Mio.

Since the launch of Health for Life Capital in December of 2013, Seventure Partners has proven its strategic vision by anticipating the microbiome revolution in the health and nutrition sectors. Around this vision, Seventure Partners has successfully attracted financial investors, strategic industrialists and entrepreneurs. As a result, Health for Life Capital has become a reference in its field.

Health for Life Capital has invested in a unique and specific portfolio of pioneering companies in the field of the microbiome and nutrition, such as the highly promising Enterome, LNC, Maat pharma, Eligo Bioscience, Targedys, Micropharma and others.

“Seventure Partners believes that large worldwide pharmaceutical groups are increasingly interested in the microbiome field in anticipation of finding new ways to conduct research and developing drugs with accompanying diagnostics; especially for infectious and gastrointestinal diseases, and other indications, as well as immuno-oncology approaches” said Isabelle de Cremoux, CEO and Managing Partner of Seventure.

Continuing, "The very rapid progression of microbiome research gives some answers to the growing problem of chronic inflammatory diseases, addressing their treatment and prevention and sustainably influencing the pharmaceutical, food and diagnostic industries. It will also impact the entire chain of stakeholders in the health field (public authorities, insurance, etc.). This explains why we wanted to unite specific strategic players from all areas as investors in Health for Life Capital™. The microbiome revolution will have an impact in the veterinary and agricultural fields as well as in human healthcare. Current and future research advancements will have a human, social and economic impact worldwide Since the biotechnology sector started in the 1980s, we are now witnessing the emergence of a new sector that will be as important as genomics.”

Health for Life Capital relies on a wide network of industrial partners (Danone, Tereos, Lesaffre, Bel, Tornier and now Novartis Pharma) and experts such as INRA (Institut National de Recherche Agronomique), the Danish Technology Institute (DTI), and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg.

The MultiCap Growth funds, managed by Bpifrance Investment under the PIA (program of investments for the future), has also invested in Health for Life Capital.

The Human intestinal microbiota is a complex personal ecosystem, usually stable, tightly adapted to the human host and in constant symbiotic interaction with his cells and organs. There are nevertheless numerous conditions and clinical practices that impose stress to the balanced microbiota. The word microbiota represents an ensemble of microorganisms that resides in a previously established environment. The gut microbiota (formerly called gut flora) is the name given today to the microbe population living in human beings intestine. It contains tens of trillions of microorganisms, including at least 1000 different species of known bacteria with more than 3 million genes (150 times more than human genes). Microbiota can, in total, weigh up to 2 kg. One third of the human gut microbiota is common to most people, while two thirds are specific to each person. 

The microbiota fulfils physiological functions that have a direct impact on health:
• It helps the body to digest certain foods that the stomach and small intestine have not been able to digest.
• It helps with the production of some vitamins (B and K).
• It helps to combat aggressions from other microorganisms, maintaining the wholeness of the intestinal mucosa.
• It plays an important role in the immune system, performing a barrier effect.
• A healthy and balanced gut microbiota is key to ensuring proper digestive functioning.