Ahead of the 10th Microbiome Movement Summit USA, we sat down with Sarah Tomkovich, Senior Scientist at Nestlé Health Science, to hear her thoughts on how the microbiome therapeutics field is evolving — and why now is such an exciting time for the community…
Sarah Tomkovich,
Sr Scientist Bioinformatics,
Nestlé Health Science
Q1: Since joining Nestle Health Science in 2024, how have you seen the field of microbiome R&D evolve over this time?
It’s nice to see there’s excitement around expanding microbiome therapeutics with the new markets and indications being explored.
Q2: What do you think the key milestones have been for the industry, and for yourselves in this time?
The approvals of the first microbiome therapeutics for recurrent C. difficile infections was a big milestone and it was exciting to be a part of a team that helped to achieve it.
Q3: What current developments are you most excited about, firstly for yourselves, and secondly from your peers?
I’m looking forward to seeing where the microbiome therapeutics field goes next. I’d like to see synergies between nutrition and the microbiome. Diet is one of the key factors that influences an individual’s microbiome, so exploring what dietary factors are associated with certain bacteria could be a way to boost that population of bacteria in healthy people or promote engraftment of microbiome therapeutics in individuals undergoing treatment.
Q4: What do you see as being the key challenges for us to turn these developments into realities?
The complexity of diseases linked to the microbiome makes it challenging to develop microbiome therapeutics beyond recurrent C. difficile infections, especially because of how unique everyone’s microbiome is. Taking a precision medicine approach to this challenge will be key to realizing the full potential of microbiome therapeutics.
Q5: In the short and long term, what would you say your hopes and expectations are for the future of microbiome therapeutics in the R&D landscape?
In the short term, I’m expecting work will begin to explore additional research opportunities into approved microbiome therapies. In the long term, I’m hoping that there are more microbiome therapeutics approved for new indications beyond recurrent C. difficile infections.
Q6: Why are you excited for the 10th Microbiome Movement Summit USA?
I’m most looking forward to learning from and networking with leaders in the microbiome therapeutics industry.
Join Your Peers to:
Gain Innovative Approaches in GI & Infectious Diseases
Explore the latest advancements in gastrointestinal microbiome treatments with Ferring Pharmaceuticals, and discover innovative approaches to enhance treatment efficacy and reduce toxicity with Microviable Therapeutics and MRM Health.
Learn Predictive Diagnostics in Microbiome Research
Hear from Dare Bioscience on the impact of vaginal products on the vaginal microbiome and their regulatory insights, and explore Jona's AI-driven analytics to match strain selection with patient response, enhancing the selection process for targeted treatments.
View Preclinical & Translational Models for Microbiome Therapies
Investigate the integration of in vivo and ex vivo models with Kanvas Bio to enhance drug efficacy assessments, and hear from Mbiomics on strategies for controlled manufacturing of complex microbial consortia.
Investigate Next-Gen Therapeutics
Discuss efficacy considerations with insights from MD Anderson Cancer Center and Nestlé Health Science into the development of next-gen therapies that retain their efficacy while improving delivery and reducing side effects for treating various health conditions.
Explore the Future of Microbiome Research
Engage with Seres Therapeutics and BiomeBank in a forward-looking dialogue on the evolving landscape of microbiome research, highlighting the role of innovative therapies in clinical validation and the shift towards more patient-centric approaches in treatment strategies.
Who Will You Meet?
