NuMe Health has changed its name to MicroBiome Therapeutics and has hired Steve Orndorff, Ph.D., as chief executive officer.

Boulder, Colo.-based MicroBiome Therapeutics (MBT) is a biotechnology company developing medical food and pharmaceutical products to improve health status by interacting with the human microbiome in specific ways. The company aims to be a leader in the development of evidence-based microbiome modulators—therapies designed to alter bacteria populations and their environment in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to treat and prevent serious health conditions.

"Our new name reflects the fact that our R&D efforts are focused on developing novel therapies that work by altering the GI microbiome," said John Elstrott, Ph.D., chairman of MBT. "The explosion of knowledge about the human microbiome makes this an exciting time to be a pioneer in the emerging field of microbiome modulators."

MBT's microbiome modulators act on multiple factors in the GI environment, providing specialized nutrition that augments the growth of targeted desirable bacteria strains and modifying factors such as the endocrine response that affects appetite, metabolism and energy storage.  MBT's lead product, NM504, contains a proprietary combination of prebiotic and other naturally occurring ingredients formulated to help diabetic individuals achieve healthy blood glucose levels and manage their body weight. It is currently being tested in a clinical trial for the management of insulin sensitivity and blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, as well as in a pilot clinical study as adjunctive therapy to the diabetes drug metformin.

Previously, Orndorff was CEO of Ariel Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company with a neurological focus.  He also has been CEO of Accera, which commercialized a prescription-only pharmacogenomic medical food for Alzheimer's patients and Univera Pharmaceuticals, a developer of novel anti-inflammatory drugs derived from natural products.

Earlier, Orndorff held R&D and manufacturing positions at PharmaLogix, ZeaGen and Monsanto's NutraSweet subsidiary. He is chairman of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device & Diagnostic Development, past chairman of the Colorado BioScience Association and past president of the Society for Industrial Microbiology.