Bio-Me AS Announces Appointment of Arne Materna as Co-CEO alongside Dr. Warren Flood

·       Dr. Arne Materna has been appointed Co-CEO as of July 1^st, 2024 to strengthen the company’s capitalization and continued commercial growth.

·       Bio-Me reports strong growth for commercial microbiome test-service operations (compound annual growth rate 2021-2023 of 60%).

·       Strong commercial growth expected to continue thanks to newly launched tests enabling skin and vaginal microbiome analysis.

·       Bio-Me plans to explore diagnostic utility of proprietary technology for Precision Microbiome Profiling (PMP™).

Oslo, Norway – September 12, 2024 – Bio-Me AS a leading biotechnology company and test-service provider pioneering precision microbiome profiling solutions, today announced the appointment of Dr. Arne Materna as Co-CEO, joining Dr. Warren Flood in a shared leadership role effective July 1^st, 2024. This appointment strengthens Bio-Me’s executive team as the company continues its expansion into new markets and advances towards a leading position in analytical service solutions for routine microbiome profiling.

With the Co-CEO structure, Bio-Me implements an emerging leadership model publicised by Harvard Business Review. Under the new structure, Dr. Materna will concentrate on strategy and investor relations, while Dr. Flood will ensure executive oversight over operations.

Dr. Materna is a seasoned business leader with a proven track-record in the development and commercialization of cutting-edge bioinformatics and genomic test technologies for microbiology applications. Prior to joining Bio-Me, Dr. Materna held executive and senior management roles at high growth biotech companies including Ares Genetics GmbH, CosmosID Inc. and QIAGEN. He obtained his doctorate in life sciences from the University of Konstanz, Germany, and gained expertise in microbial genetics and microbiome research as a post-doctoral fellow and laboratory leader at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Materna has actively supported Bio-Me as Chief Technology Officer since September 2023 and continues to serve as a valued member on Bio-Me’s Board of Directors which he joined in 2021. 

Bio-Me’s proprietary platform for Precision Microbiome Profiling (PMP™) is based on highly parallelized single-plex qPCR and addresses limitations of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for specimen types with low bacterial biomass, high host DNA contamination and a need for absolute quantification. “PMP™ is optimally positioned for routine microbiome testing of skin and vaginal specimen, and we are thrilled to experience strong interest from customers advancing skincare and women’s health.” says Dr. Materna. “I am excited to support Bio-Me’s continued growth with Dr. Warren Flood in a Co-CEO tandem. Warren is a wonderful colleague and, as cofounder, ensures that Bio-Me retains a culture of innovation and operational continuity at all levels of the organization. Together with our talented team we will continue to deliver value to customers and shareholders by advancing the state of the art for routine microbiome testing.”

Since 2021 Bio-Me has steadily expanded its microbiome test portfolio and grown service revenues at a compound annual growth rate of 60%. Following successful launches of new test offerings for the accurate, fast and cost-effective characterization of the skin and vaginal microbiome, Bio-Me is currently engaging existing and new investors to secure financial runway to profitability. Another critical aim for Bio-Me’s next phase of expansion is to validate the diagnostic potential of the company’s first vaginal microbiome-test for women’s health indications.  

“The human microbiome plays a critical role in health and disease, but the successful development of new interventions and treatments has been critically hampered by a lack of accurate diagnostics targeting the microbiome.” says Carl Christian Gilhuus-Moe, Chairman of Bio-Me’s Board of Directors. “We believe that Bio-Me’s proprietary PMP™ technology holds unique potential for a future application as a clinical diagnostic. Dr. Materna’s appointment as Co-CEO strengthens Bio-Me’s continued commercial growth while introducing the expertise required for translating state-of-the-art microbiological test technologies into clinical applications – a future we are excited to explore together with our partners and shareholders.”

About Bio-Me AS:
Bio-Me AS is a biotechnology company and test-service provider pioneering precision microbiome profiling for scientists conducting research into the human microbiome and for companies developing clinical and non-regulated microbiome solutions. Bio-Me’s innovative PMP™ technology enables the accurate, rapid, and cost-effective routine analysis of the gut, skin and vaginal microbiome. Based in Oslo, Norway, Bio-Me partners with leading healthcare institutions as well as pharmaceutical and consumer care companies worldwide.