Aelius Biotech
Summary
Client: Aelius Biotech
Sector: nutrition, food and supplement innovation
Challenge: optimise products before human testing
Solution: integrated digestion modelling and human intervention research
Outcome: better-informed study design and reduced development risk
We have developed a pathway where digestion modelling can be used to optimise human nutrition trials before they are delivered in participants.
The challenge
Developing a new food, ingredient or nutritional supplement often requires significant investment before a product reaches human testing.
Organisations need confidence that a product is behaving as expected during digestion, that the proposed formulation is appropriate, and that a future human study is designed to generate meaningful evidence.
Without this early-stage insight, businesses risk investing in human intervention studies that are based on the wrong formulation, dose or outcome measures, increasing both cost and uncertainty.
The solution
In partnership with Aelius Biotech, we've created a connected research pathway that combines laboratory-based digestion modelling with human intervention research.
Using Aelius Biotech's advanced model gut technology, products can first be assessed under simulated digestive conditions before progressing to human studies.
This enables organisations to answer important questions at an earlier stage of development, including:
- how a product behaves during digestion
- whether nutrients or bioactive compounds are released and available for absorption
- how different formulations compare
- which product or dose should progress to human testing
- which outcomes should be measured during a future intervention study
The findings generated through digestion modelling are then used to inform the design of a human intervention study, ensuring that research is focused on the most promising products and the most relevant questions.
Our approach
The partnership combines complementary expertise across the product development pathway.
Aelius Biotech investigates how products perform under simulated digestive conditions, generating insights into digestion, nutrient release, protein quality and formulation performance.
We then translates these findings into a robust human research protocol, supporting decisions around:
- study design
- participant populations
- dose selection
- biological and physiological outcome measures
- sampling schedules
- overall trial methodology
We can then deliver the complete human study, including protocol development, participant recruitment, study delivery, sample collection, data analysis and reporting.
The impact
By linking digestion modelling with human intervention research, organisations can make more informed development decisions before committing to larger-scale studies.
This approach helps businesses:
- identify the strongest product candidates for testing
- optimise formulations before moving into human studies
- improve study design and outcome selection
- reduce the risk of inconclusive trials
- generate stronger evidence more efficiently
Rather than treating laboratory testing and human research as separate stages, the partnership creates a joined-up development pathway that aligns the product, the research question and the study design from the outset.