Your journey, our Science

Gut or intestinal dysbiosis, defined as a disturbance in the composition of the intestinal microbiota and its activity, leads to damage to the gut epithelial barrier and improper activation of the immune system.

Increased permeability of the gut barrier, also known as “leaky gut,” allowing toxins and pathogens to pass through the intestinal barrier to the bloodstream, triggers low-grade systemic inflammation.

This is a key driver of obesity and obesity-related complications such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or cardiovascular diseases.

The gut microbiota significantly impacts energy balance by affecting both energy intake and expenditure, and it does this through various mechanisms. These include increasing energy extraction from food, producing signalling molecules that regulate appetite and metabolism, and influencing the gut-brain axis.

In obesity, altered gut microbiota, often with reduced diversity, can increase calorie extraction, which causes a positive energy balance and weight gain.

SCFAs like butyrate, acetate, and propionate, produced by bacterial fermentation of fibre, play a crucial role in gut health. They provide energy for intestinal epithelial cells, strengthen the gut barrier, and help regulate inflammation. SCFAs also influence glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity and appetite regulation.

In obesity, probiotic strains that boost SCFA production, especially butyrate, can significantly support epithelial barrier integrity. Certain probiotics can reinforce tight junctions between intestinal epithelial cells and reduce gut permeability. Thus, such probiotic strains can prevent the “leaky gut” phenomenon associated with obesity and obesity-related disorders.

Its complexity and plasticity. It changes with diet, age, and environment - yet remains incredibly resilient. Understanding how to guide it toward health is both challenging and deeply rewarding.

We started with the clinical problem: GLP-1-induced GI side effects and the need to support gut health during weight loss. We then selected strains with known activity in modulating inflammation, motility, and microbial balance, aiming for a synergistic effect.

To exert a meaningful effect, probiotics must reach the gut in sufficient quantity. An 80B CFU dose together with innovative, state-of-the-art capsule technology, gives us confidence that enough viable organisms survive gastric passage and engage with the host microbiome.

In an AI-supported meta-analysis of over 250 studies, we selected bacterial strains that have shown specific effects against GI-AE during GLP-1 treatment like nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating etc.

They are thought to support microbial stability and help mitigate changes induced by slower GI motility. In addition, probiotics may counteract constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, and nausea, improving adherence to GLP-1 therapy.

I studied microbiology and food science at ETH because of my fascination with biology and how our body works. The gut is like a second brain - dynamic, adaptable, and interconnected with every system in the body. To me, it represents the next frontier in preventive and personalised medicine.

From a strategic and commercial view, we saw a clear unmet need. GLP-1s are powerful tools, but dropout rates are high due to side effects. Supporting the gut means supporting long-term success for patients achieving their goals for a better and healthier future - and that’s where Azento Health and Forte80™ fit in.

It’s a paradigm shift. We're moving from treating symptoms to restoring balance. The microbiome adds a new layer to drug response and opens doors for adjunctive therapies that are natural, safe, and effective. We are seeing only the tip of the iceberg, and with the Azento Health scientific approach, we will drive this shift.

I believe they’ll be core components of personalised obesity care.

As we understand individual microbiome profiles better, targeted probiotic interventions could become part of standard protocols of weight management together with GLP-1s and all the new innovative weight management drugs that will come to the market in the next 5-10 years. Weight loss is having a major impact on the general digestive system, and here the Azento Health patent-deposited probiotics have a central role to play.

Because the microbiome is complex and often misunderstood. We need to empower consumers with facts, not fads, so they can make informed choices. That’s why transparency and scientific integrity are at the core of our company and brand.

Its untapped potential. I’ve been working in this area for over 25 years, and we’re only beginning to see how it influences everything from immunity to mood. For me, being part of a company that helps translate that science into real-world impact is deeply motivating.