Metanome™ and Companion PBx Enter into Strategic Partnership

HOUSTON, Jan. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Metanome, Inc., a Houston-based provider of comprehensive metagenomic services and data analysis has entered into a strategic partnership with Companion PBx, a developer and provider of innovative digestive health solutions for companion animals.  In June of last year, both companies entered into an agreement whereby Metanome will provide metagenomic services that will enable a scientific cornerstone of product development by Companion PBx.

With an initial focus on canines, Companion PBx is now ready to introduce a sample collection kit, provided by Metanome, and a web-based metadata survey to veterinarian clinics across the nation.  This survey will enable the establishment of a microbiome database comprised of health data for thousands of healthy and unhealthy dogs so that an unhealthy dog's diet can be modified with specially developed foods and/or probiotics to enable a rapid return to a healthy status.  Metanome will perform the metagenomic analyses on the samples that will enable Companion PBx to develop various digestive health solutions and make recommendations to pet owners and their veterinarians.

Dr. Joseph Petrosino, Founder and Chief Science Officer of Metanome and Director of the Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research at Baylor College of Medicine stated, "Companion PBx presented us with an exciting opportunity to leverage the expertise that we have developed on humans and expand it to domestic animals.  Given the importance that owners place on the health of their pets, it makes sense to expand microbiome research to companion animals and specifically to help animals suffering from digestive problems."   

Robert Millman, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Companion PBx stated, "We are thrilled to partner with Metanome to offer our microbiome Dx Fingerprint kit for use in companion pets. Metanome's integrated sequencing and informatics technology will allow us to collect and obtain the largest annotated microbiome dataset in existence, which we will use to inform and develop proprietary pre- and probiotic supplements to optimize a companion animal's digestive health."

About Metanome, Inc.
Metanome provides comprehensive metagenomic services and data analysis focused on solutions that benefit health and improve environmental conditions and industrial processes worldwide. The company is a BCM Technologies, Inc. portfolio company.  Building on the research conducted at the Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research at Baylor College of Medicine, Metanome has extensive experience with highly diverse microbiome sample types.  For more information, please visit www.metanome.com.

About Companion PBx
Companion PBx is a private biotech company developing a suite of nutrition products for optimal cat and dog digestive health based on microbiome diversity and gut microbial fingerprints.  The Company is developing a Dx Fingerprint kit as the first diagnostic product to pinpoint deficiencies in a pet's GI health.  The Company is further developing in combination, a suite of PBx Treats: nutrition products made of proprietary combinations of pre- and probiotic supplements, which are shown to correct deficiencies in a pet's digestive health.  Companion PBx products are designed by experts in pet digestive health and formulations are built from clinically proven ingredients.  For more information, please visit www.companionpbx.com.

Media Contact:
Gwynneth Ballentine, MBA, PhD
[email protected]
(713)798-5911

SOURCE Metanome, Inc.

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http://www.metanome.com