NuMe Health Completes $1.5 Million Series A Financing To Advance Its First Cobiotic™ Aimed At Helping Prediabetics Maintain Healthy Blood Glucose Levels

NEW ORLEANS, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NuMe Health LLC, a biotechnology company developing evidence-based cobiotic™ products that modify the bacteria that live in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to support health and well-being, today announced that it has closed a $1.5 million Series A financing.  NuMe also announced that the company is initiating a clinical trial of its lead cobiotic product, NM504, which is being developed for the prediabetic population to support maintenance of healthy blood glucose levels and metabolic fitness.

The Series A financing was led by existing investor BVM Capital with the participation of company insiders, and several new private investors also joined in the round.  The company intends to use the funds to advance NM504 towards commercialization, including developing the initial format for its first consumer product, completing the pilot clinical trial and preparing for an initial direct-to-consumer launch.

"This is an exciting time for NuMe Health as we initiate the first clinical trial of our lead cobiotic product and begin to prepare for commercial launch," said Dean P. Stull, PhD, chief executive officer of NuMe Health.  "We are pleased that our investors appreciate the potential of our revolutionary approach to support healthy blood glucose levels and metabolic fitness, and we are delighted that the trial will be conducted at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, which has a global reputation for its clinical research in obesity and metabolic diseases."

NM504 contains a proprietary blend of prebiotic and other ingredients formulated to help prediabetic individuals achieve healthy blood glucose levels and manage their body weight by altering the composition of their GI bacteria.  Prediabetes is a condition in which individuals have blood glucose levels higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.  According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with prediabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.  NM504 supports the activity of bacteria that inhibit appetite signals and stimulate satiety signals, and it also inhibits bacteria that convert undigested nutrients into extra calories.  In addition, NM504 shifts the bacteria environment of the microbiome to decrease the absorption of sugar and cholesterol. 

"We welcomed the chance to lead the Series A financing due to the opportunity we see for NuMe Health to be a leader in applying the emerging knowledge of the human microbiome to prediabetes and related health conditions," said  Ross P. Barrett, managing partner of BVM Capital and a director of NuMe Health.  "We also want to acknowledge the support from BioDistrict New Orleans, the New Orleans BioInnovation Center, Inc., Tulane University and the broader pro-business policy initiatives of the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, which have been instrumental in helping to close this round."

The NM504 clinical trial is a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, proof-of-concept study that will test the ability of two different doses of NM504 to alter the human microbiome and support healthy insulin sensitivity and fasting blood glucose levels in prediabetic individuals.  It will assess blood biomarkers associated with GI and metabolic health, relevant safety parameters and GI bacterial changes consistent with the expected mechanism of action of NM504.

Cobiotics are combinations of naturally occurring food components that are not digested but that act to control GI bacteria in beneficial ways.  NuMe's initial cobiotic products are derived from bioactive plant ingredients that promote the growth of specific bacteria with the potential to positively affect metabolic conditions.  NuMe's cobiotic products are evidence-based and are being developed using rigorous scientific methods and clinical studies to assess and validate their claims.

About NuMe Health

NuMe Health is a biotechnology company developing and marketing proprietary, evidence-based cobiotic™ products--combinations of food components designed to maintain health by modifying the bacteria populations that live in the GI tract.  NuMe's first product, NM504, is designed to support healthy blood glucose levels in prediabetic individuals.  Future products will address other conditions involving metabolism and the maintenance of healthy body weight.  For more information, visit www.numehealth.com.

SOURCE NuMe Health LLC