University College Cork's FemmeBiomehealth company spinning out in search of seed investment

University College Cork (UCC) is spinning out its women’s health company, FemmeBiome, as it seeks further investment.

The company emerged from research conducted at APC Microbiome Ireland and was founded by Siobhain O’Mahony, a professor of neurobiology at UCC.

 FemmeBiome utilises two decades of research in to the microbiome-gut-brain axis and its role in women’s health.

UCC is seeking to develop microbiome-based products for women that are informed by clinical research and women’s lived experiences.

Professor O’Mahony and her team identified differences in how the gut microbiome responds to stress in women and men, particularly as regards the estrobolome, a group of gut bacteria involved in oestrogen metabolism.

“This led the team to explore how changes in the gut microbiome during periods of hormonal transition may influence women’s health and wellbeing,” UCC said.

Products grounded in biology

Prof O’Mahony said women’s biology has been an afterthought in how supplements are researched and developed.

“It is time to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. Women deserve products grounded in their biology, backed by rigorous science, and developed specifically for them."

FemmeBiome collaborated with Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) to survey women aged 45-55 on their experiences, receiving more than 120 responses in just two days.

Participants were invited to take part in focus groups to better understand the symptoms that had the greatest impact on their lives, with six of the most troublesome and commonly reported being brain related, while sleep disturbance, anxiety, and brain fog were also frequently cited.

The data from the survey and focus groups, combined with the team’s deep microbiome research expertise, informed the development of FemmeBiome’s first product, MoreMe, a targeted, synbiotic gut-health supplement designed to support women during perimenopause and menopause.