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Launch of Activated Form of Critical Bacteria B. Infantis in Asia Fulfills Li Ka Shing Foundation’s Vision, Caps First Quarter of Major Activity in the Continent
DAVIS, California, May 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Evolve BioSystems, makers of Evivo® baby probiotic, today announced that its flagship consumer product Evivo is available in Hong Kong and Singapore. Consumers will be able to purchase Evivo, an activated form of B. infantis, an essential beneficial bacterium for babies, at Evivo.com.
The introduction of Evivo into these markets fulfills a major goal of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Horizons Ventures, the investment arm of the Li Ka Shing Foundation. These two world-renowned public-health organizations led Evolve’s most recent round of funding based on the company’s science, which has shown that B. infantis reduces the abundance of pathogens, such as Clostridium and E. coli, that have been associated with autoimmune conditions common in developed nations, including asthma, allergies, colic, eczema and type-1 diabetes.
“The dramatic spike of autoimmune health challenges over the past several decades has spread in Asia, correlating with the rise of formula feeding, C-sections and antibiotic abuse. Evivo baby probiotic, the essential beneficial bacterium for babies, is critical in laying the foundation for a strong immune system,” said Patrick Zhang at Horizons Ventures. “We were particularly eager to make Evivo available in Asia because we believe that B. infantis is critical for laying the foundation for a strong immune system.”
Evivo is intended specifically for newborns, and provides a crucial strain of Bifidobacterium that was historically present in the infant gut, but has nearly been eliminated over the past century. When Evivo is consumed in combination with breast milk, the B. infantis crowds out pathogens.
“Although the modern medical interventions common in developed societies are often medically necessary, they have some major unintended consequences. The disrupted microbiomes among the infants of these populations is a notable example,” said Tim Brown, CEO of Evolve BioSystems. “Today, the launch of Evivo in Singapore and Hong Kong markets marks the first step toward our larger goal of beneficially remodeling the microbiomes of Asian babies for strong and lifelong immune health.”
Evolve, Zhejiang University Kick Off Study Aimed at Eliminating Antibiotic Usage in Pigs
B. infantis will also be playing a major role in the health of livestock in Asia. The Li Ka Shing Foundation is funding a joint Evolve-Zhejiang University study that will assess whether the company’s product GlycoGuard, which introduces B. infantis into the microbiomes of livestock, could potentially replace antibiotic usage in pigs, thereby drastically reducing incidence of associated antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
In this planned study of 4,000 pigs, Evolve and Zhejiang University seek to uncover how to use probiotics to reduce the region’s porcine mortality rate and aid weight gain, for which pork farmers currently turn to antibiotics to achieve.
“Piglets’ microbiomes are quite fragile, which has created a market need for a safe, natural way to strengthen their immune systems in these first few days of life,” said Dr. WANG Yizhen, Dean at Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences. “The use of antibiotics in animal husbandry could pose potential risks to food safety, we are hoping to help Chinese pork farmers — who raise 60 percent of the 1 billion pigs farmed annually — lead the fight against the growing pandemic of antibiotic resistance.”
About Evolve BioSystems
Evolve BioSystems, Inc. is a privately-held microbiome company dedicated to developing the next generation of products to establish, restore, and maintain a healthy gut microbiome. Evolve recently completed a $40M Series C round of funding co-led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Horizons Ventures, the venture division of the Li Ka Shing Foundation.
Evolve is a spin-out from the Foods for Health Institute (FFHI) at the University of California, Davis and builds on more than a decade of research into understanding the unique partnership of the infant gut microbiome and breast milk components. Having led to the development and commercial launch of products to resolve newborn gut dysbiosis, including Evivo® for infants, Evolve’s discovery platform is now being applied to solving gut dysbiosis throughout the human and animal life cycle. In addition to the landmark proof-of-concept trial, Evolve is undertaking further clinical studies to build out its suite of microbiome-based solutions.
Contact: Crisel Ortiz, 1-415-989-9000, crisel@msrcommunications.com
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Source: Evolve BioSystems, Inc.
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