Does the world need prebiotics?

The gut and skin microbiome eco-systems are among the most complex setups in the world. By decoding and analysing them, it is possible to understand why some diseases are more developed in some individuals and not in others. More importantly, it is possible to present solutions to prevent the development of any disease in the first place.

Carbiotix is a Lund-based company focusing on the gut and skin microbiome systems. The company was founded in 2014, as a spinoff from the University of Lund. Recent developments include more focus on solutions, as well as providing diagnostics services.

“We are currently developing the second generation of highly effective prebiotics, to stimulate short-chain fatty acids. We have three laboratories in Lund: one for the development of prebiotics, one for analysing microbiome systems and one for providing our diagnostics services”, explains Kristofer Cook, Carbiotix CEO.

Thanks to the three laboratories and their complex technology, Carbiotix offers a comprehensive solution to anyone interested in the gut and/or skin microbiome. Kristofer Cook explains further:

“With our LINKGut service, we offer the most cost effective, reliable and flexible gut health testing service on the market today. CarbiAXOS is our complex second-generation prebiotic solution, tailored to individual needs”.

Worldwide need for a solution

CarbiAXOS can be used in a wide range of nutraceutical and cosmetic products. Does the world need prebiotics?

“Up to 90 percent of adults lack at least 50 percent of the essential prebiotic soluble fibres in their diet. This can lead to various gut-related diseases and difficult to treat conditions such as IBS. To address the problem, and the worldwide need for a solution, we are developing the second generation of highly effective prebiotics”, says Kristofer Cook. He continues:

“Our product is a soluble fiber based on natural substrates containing AXOS (arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides), and is customised to maximise the production of Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) or any other desired effect. Our solution is flexible and can be used as a single product, or combined with other solutions to obtain the desired effect. It can even be combined with probiotics and thus creating a symbiotic solution”.

Great market growth potential

The market för prebiotics supplements generates sales of approximately 1 billion euros on an annual basis.

“If our product is combined with probiotic bacteria, the market is at least ten times larger than that”.

CarbiAXOS is already favoured by many large companies in the US.

“We have initially focused mainly on the American market and B2B for our product. As far as our diagnostic service is concerned, we also work exclusively B2B, but there is an opportunity to develop the service towards research and clinical trials as well. The market here is estimated at around 100 million euros, but with a great development potential here as well”, Kristofer Cook concludes.