The Akkermansia Company™ and Metagenics launch pasteurised next-generation healthy bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila in BeNeLux in September 2022

The Akkermansia muciniphila bacterium was discovered in 2004, isolated from human intestinal microbiota and characterised at the laboratory of Professor Willem M. de Vos (Wageningen University, Netherlands), co-founder of The Akkermansia Company™. Soon after, the team of Professor Patrice D. Cani (UCLouvain, Bruxelles, Belgium), the other co-founder of the company, discovered the beneficial effects of this bacterium.

Their collaboration has resulted in dozens of scientific publications, including a human clinical study published in Nature Medicine in 2019. Results showed that pasteurised Akkermansia muciniphila has the ability to significantly lower risk factors associated with diabetes type II and cardiovascular disease, including a decrease of liver inflammatory markers, insulin resistance and hypercholesterolemia.

Akkermansia muciniphila restores intestinal barrier function, which leads to a decrease in inflammation and, over time, helps to control fat storage, glucose metabolism and energy expenditure. The pasteurised bacterium has been shown to be more effective than live Akkermansia and in pasteurised form it is stable, has a long shelf life and can be applied in many different types of food products.

It took 17 years of research and development to get market authorisation in September 2021 by the European Commission to sell the next-generation pasteurised healthy bacteria in the European Union.

The global prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2020. Excess weight affects 1.4 billion people above the age of 20 and by 2030 it is estimated to affect 3.3 billion people. The prevalence rates for type 2 diabetes are also constantly rising.

Today, The Akkermansia Company™ is pleased to announce that it has reached an important partnership agreement with Metagenics Europe for the distribution of its first product in the BeNeLux region. Metagenics is the market leader in food supplements in Belgium and has a very strong standing with doctors and pharmacists. The weight management with glucose control product will be available in pharmacies, parapharmacies and online sales channels starting on September 5th. Pharmacies will be able to order the product from now.

“We are very proud to be the first company to sign a partnership agreement with The Akkermansia Company™. We plan to invest in the development and management of observational studies in close collaboration with the prescribers. The products formulated with Akkermansia muciniphila pave the way for a new generation of food supplements."
​Stijn Oste, CEO of Metagenics Europe

“The distribution agreement with Metagenics is the first phase of the launch of The Akkermansia Company™ brand. We are pleased to work with the leading company in BeNeLux and look forward to announcing next steps in our international expansion soon. We are proud to have our base in Belgium and Wallonia, an ideal hub as we develop into a global company."
​Michael Oredsson, CEO of The Akkermansia Company™

^{About Metagenics
​Metagenics is the leader in the field of micronutrition in Belgium. The company, based in Ostende, has grown tremendously in recent years and is the absolute number 1 on the Belgian market with a market share of more than 12%. Thanks to its strong scientific foundation, Metagenics is also the undisputed leader in the prescription market and the first choice of prescribers. In the probiotic market as well, Metagenics has been a pioneering company and a reference for more than 10 years.}

^{Metagenics Europe, a manufacturer of high-quality micronutrients, is part of the American group Metagenics Inc., active worldwide. The group owns subsidiaries in the United-States, Australia, New-Zealand, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Italy, France, Canada and Japan, as well as distributors in dozens of other countries. From their headquarters in Ostende, Metagenics Europe supports and coordinates the entire European Market.}

^{www.metagenics.be}

^{About The Akkermansia Company™
​Founded in 2016, The Akkermansia Company™ (previously A-Mansia) is a spin-off company located in Belgium and specialized in the microbiome. It builds on the findings of its founding scientists, Professor Willem M. de Vos, from Wageningen University, in the Netherlands, and Professor Patrice D. Cani, from the Louvain University (UCLouvain), in Belgium. R&D is carried out in collaboration with the laboratories of UCLouvain and Wageningen University. The Akkermansia Company™ develops health products based on the unique properties of the commensal bacterial species Akkermansia muciniphila. The company received a Series A funding of 18 million euros led by Seventure Partners, in collaboration with Innovation Industries, Fonds Vives II (UCLouvain), the Société Régionale d'Investissement de Wallonie (SRIW), M. Pierre Drion and other private investors, and is also supported by several grants from the region of Wallonia.}

^{www.theakkermansiacompany.com}

Prof. Patrice D. Cani (UCLouvain) & Prof. Willem M. de Vos (Universiteit van Wageningen)Michael Oredsson, CEO van The Akkermansia Company™

Stijn Oste, CEO van Metagenics Europa