Nodia Metabolics targets prediabetes

In 2011, at the Micalis Institute (Univ. Paris-Saclay/French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, INRAE/AgroParisTech) a research project began exploring the links between the microbiota and human health. It involved microbiologists Christine Delorme and Séverine Layec, physiologist and nutritionist Véronique Douard, and microbiologist and biochemist Vincent Juillard. "Our work revealed that certain products derived from the intestinal microbiota have a regulatory effect on regulating host blood sugar. An inactivated bacterium from the intestinal microbiota together with a bacterial metabolite also found in plants, regulated blood sugar in mice that developed prediabetes after a specific diet," explains Christine Delorme. Prediabetes is a blood sugar disorder that is an early warning sign of diabetes.

Strong support

In 2016, the project was recognised with an award from the French group working on obesity and excess weight, the Groupe de réflexion sur l'obésité et le surpoids (G.R.O.S.). Between 2019 and 2020, the four founding researchers advanced the project to the pre-maturation phase within the Université Paris-Saclay Initiative of Excellence (IdEx), which was being established at the time.

"The results obtained enabled us to file a patent in 2019 for the use of the bacterial metabolite in the prevention and treatment of glucose intolerance," adds Christine Delorme. "In 2020, we submitted a pre-maturation project to two calls for projects: Poc In Labs at Université Paris Saclay and POC’UP at Paris-Saclay Technology Transfer Accelerator Office (SATT Paris-Saclay). Given the maturity of the project, SATT Paris-Saclay directed us towards a maturation project. For four months, we co-developed the NovaTreat project as part of the SATT Paris-Saclay's Tech Transfer Programme," explains the co-founder. A team was formed to support the project's development alongside the researchers, with the support of lawyers and marketing project engineers from SATT Paris-Saclay, industrial property engineers from SATT Paris-Saclay and INRAE Transfert, as well as external experts in regulation and product development. "NovaTreat drew on the skills and resources of the Paris-Saclay ecosystem, platforms and service providers to develop its programme. SATT Paris-Saclay played an essential role in the development of our project," says the co-founder.

Nodia Metabolics was officially established in January 2024 and now holds two patents, one covering the metabolite and the other the bacterial strains. In June 2025, Nodia Metabolics joined the 7th cohort of Prevent2Care, a nine-month incubator programme dedicated to innovative preventive healthcare solutions. "Prevent2Care is helping us develop our strategy in conjunction with their network partners and founders and associates, including Pfizer Innovation France, Fondation Ramsay Santé and Elior Santé. We're particularly keen to work with Elior Santé, which specialises in catering for local authorities and the medical-social sector. This would enable us to integrate our preventive medicine solution alongside tailored lifestyle and dietary measures for the treatment of prediabetes. Such measures focus on improved nutrition and physical activity. As clinical studies show, these protocols are often difficult to follow and not always effective. Our product would support these measures, and Elior Santé would be the perfect partner for incorporating nutritional issues into our preventive solution," explains Christine Delorme.

The start-up's four co-founders are currently involved in a competitive scientific call. This means that only 10% to 20% of their research time can be dedicated to the start-up. Pascal Leuraud, a human health specialist and co-founder of XenTech, which he headed for 20 years, has recently joined Nodia Metabolics as its CEO. His work focuses on fundraising, a critical step in the start-up's early development.

Using human-derived substances

Building on these results, Nodia Metabolics is developing its first product based on a compound derived from human microbiota to help people with prediabetes regulate their blood sugar and prevent type 2 diabetes. "We have identified a metabolite produced by commensal bacterial strains (microorganisms living in the body) isolated from humans. This amino acid derivative can stimulate insulin secretion, the key hormone in blood sugar regulation. This metabolite can also be synthesised chemically," adds the co-founder.

Although the product is classified as a dietary supplement, it is developed as rigorously as a drug. Following demonstrated preclinical efficacy in animals, its safety will be assessed in vivo. The molecule will then move onto human clinical trials to confirm its efficacy. " We have shown a direct effect of our substance on blood sugar in a preclinical study. Existing products on the market act on blood sugar control through weight loss, which is not the case with our approach. Our molecule acts directly on the pancreas within 15 minutes of the first dose, boosting insulin secretion and thereby lowering blood sugar. The effects can be measured very quickly in patients," says Christine Delorme.

Integration into patient care

From the outset, Nodia Metabolics has aimed to become part of the patient care pathway, i.e. to be prescribed by a doctor. "But it's not that straightforward. There are many constraints to be addressed before the product can reach the market. Our product is not a human metabolite, since it is synthesised by microorganisms and plants. It is present in the bloodstream, supplied by diet and the microbiota, but in very small quantities," explains the co-founder. In order to secure marketing authorisation under the Novel food classification, the start-up must submit regulatory dossiers for validation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To do so, it needs support from a regulatory consultancy.

Once certification is obtained, clinical trials will begin to demonstrate the molecule's efficacy. "We're hoping to bring this product to market in 2027 or 2028, once all these stages have been completed. In the meantime, we're considering offering our product directly through our website before it becomes part of the patient care pathway," adds Christine Delorme.

Convincing investors

After attempting to raise funds in 2024, Nodia Metabolics is revising its marketing strategy to attract investors. "We've spent the last year rethinking our approach. Two factors may explain investor hesitation: first, the fact that our development resembles that of a dietary supplement, since we address a risk factor rather than a disease. And second, our substance is being conflated with increasingly popular drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro," laments the co-founder.

Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, these drugs are now also used to combat obesity and even excess weight. Food supplements suffer from a negative image. Against the backdrop of exponential market growth, Nodia Metabolics must find a way to stand out and identify its target patient groups. The start-up's molecule must establish itself as a non-drug treatment for blood sugar control, in a market dominated by pharmaceuticals. However, unlike the drugs available, Nodia Metabolics' treatment is positioned upstream, as a preventive solution.

"Raising funds is crucial and is our next priority. We need to secure funding to carry out clinical trials and apply for regulatory approval to market our products. We need 2.5 million euros for our work and to recruit staff," concludes Christine Delorme.