MRM Health Enters Strategic Collaboration with Oncode Institute and the Netherlands Cancer Institute to Accelerate Program on Microbiome-Based Therapies that Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy

MRM Health Enters Strategic Collaboration with Oncode Institute and the Netherlands Cancer Institute to Accelerate Program on Microbiome-Based Therapies that Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy 

• R&D partnership combines the cutting-edge microbiome science of MRM Health with leading translational research and clinical expertise of Prof. Emile Voest’s research group at the NKI to create next-generation immune-oncology therapies
• Program will leverage MRM Health’s proprietary CORAL® platform to develop live biotherapeutic products to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors

Ghent, Belgium and Amsterdam, The Netherlands – December 17, 2025 – MRM Health NV, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering microbiome-based therapeutics for inflammatory diseases and immune-oncology, today announced that the company has entered into a strategic collaboration with the research group of Prof. Emile Voest, Senior Group Leader at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) and Senior Investigator at Oncode Institute. Prof. Voest has established strong expertise in tumor microbiome research, including its role in cancer progression and treatment response, as well as in the integration of real-world clinical data to inform translational oncology. Through this collaboration, MRM Health aims to accelerate the development of novel live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer treatment.

ICIs have transformed cancer therapy but are limited by immune-related adverse events (irAEs), heightened toxicity in combinations, primary or acquired resistance in many patients, and chronic effects impairing quality of life. Growing scientific evidence demonstrates that the gut microbiome can have a positive impact on these resistance mechanisms and irAEs, offering the potential to enhance ICI efficacy, safety, and combination potential through targeted modulation. Specific microbiome compositions and functions are associated with more favorable clinical outcomes. On the other hand, microbiome dysbiosis or imbalance, induced by, for example, antibiotics or other therapies, has been linked to reduced survival. Methods aiming to alter the microbiome show promise in improving immunotherapy responses across preclinical and early clinical research.

Innovative bacterial consortia designed to boost cancer immunotherapy 

MRM Health is applying its proprietary CORAL® platform to design and develop optimized bacterial consortia that can restore the dysbiotic microbiome while modulating immune and metabolic pathways relevant to ICI response. The close partnership with Prof. Voest, will provide unique insights into patient disease profiles, advanced microbiome data and immune cell profiling, which should enable the acceleration of MRM Health’s internal program.

“We are entering a new era where the microbiome will become a key driver of immunotherapy success,” said Sam Possemiers, CEO of MRM Health. “By combining our rational microbiome design platform with the deep oncology and immunology expertise of Prof. Voest and his team at the NKI, we aim to accelerate the creation of next-generation therapies that increase response rates to immune checkpoint inhibitors, meaningfully improving patient outcomes across multiple cancer types. This collaboration also positions MRM Health in one of the fastest-growing segments of the global cancer market, reinforcing our leadership in microbiome-driven innovation with the objective of developing best-in-class live biotherapeutic products in this field.”

“Our research has demonstrated the critical role of the gut microbiome and its metabolites in shaping responses to immunotherapy,” noted Prof. Emile Voest, Professor of Medical Oncology at the University Medical Center Utrecht and Senior Group Leader at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI). “By partnering with MRM Health, which is at the forefront of this technology, our insights can be turned into innovative therapeutic strategies aimed at overcoming resistance and unlocking the full potential of ICI treatments.”

“Our collaboration with MRM Health exemplifies Oncode Institute’s mission to turn important academic discoveries into tangible patient and economic benefits,” says Bertholt Leeftink, Managing Director of Oncode Institute. “This public–private collaboration underscores that world-class research and a strong, innovative biotech industry are essential to delivering new and more effective treatments for patients, while also creating new business opportunities.”

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About the CORAL® platform

MRM Health's CORAL® platform is a technology for creating and manufacturing next-generation live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) based on optimized bacteria consortia. CORAL® uses a bioinformatics-guided discovery engine to identify therapeutic strains and a proprietary optimization technology to create consortia with faster onset-of-action and increased potency. The platform's key differentiator is its manufacturing process, which produces the entire consortia as a single drug substance, allowing for scalable, cost-effective, and standardized production.

About MRM Health

MRM Health is a clinical-stage biotech developing innovative microbiome-based Live Biotherapeutic Products for chronic inflammatory diseases with high unmet need. Its CORAL® platform enables the design and manufacturing of disease-focused microbial consortia with enhanced efficacy and scalability. In addition to advancing its lead program MH002 into pivotal clinical development in ulcerative colitis and the orphan disease indication pouchitis, MRM Health has ongoing preclinical programs in other inflammatory diseases and in immune-oncology.

For more information, please follow us on LinkedIn or visit the website at www.mrmhealth.com.

About Prof. Emile Voest

Emile Voest is professor of Medical Oncology, Senior Group Leader at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Senior Scientist of the Oncode Institute, and translational scientist. Until 2021, he served as executive medical director of the Netherlands Cancer Institute. In addition, he is an independent, non-executive board member of Sanofi and is co-founder and non-executive board member of the Hartwig Medical Foundation. He also co-founded Mosaic Therapeutics, devoted to developing new combinatorial treatments in a specific genomic background. His academic group is devoted to bringing precision medicine to patients and focuses on the development of genomics and immune-guided treatment strategies by employing sophisticated co-culture models, computational approaches and clinical trials to improve drug development and immunotherapy. 

About Oncode Institute

Oncode Institute is a Dutch cancer research and innovation organization dedicated to accelerating breakthroughs in cancer research and translating them into impactful diagnostics and treatments. We bring together 62 leading researchers and their teams from 13 partner institutes to pursue cutting-edge, high-risk, high-gain research. Through an integrated approach that bridges discovery, clinical practice, and market needs, Oncode Institute drives the transformation of innovations into tangible benefits for patients. We foster collaboration and drive valorization to maximize impact - advancing science, improving health outcomes, and contributing to economic value. Founded on the pillars of science, collaboration, and valorization, Oncode Institute is committed to outsmarting cancer and impacting lives. www.oncodeinstitute.nl

About NKI

The Netherlands Cancer Institute, founded in 1913, is among the top 10 comprehensive cancer centers, combining world-class fundamental, translational, and clinical research with dedicated patient care. Our initiatives to promote excellent translational research have been recognized by the European Academy of Cancer Sciences, when they designated us ‘Comprehensive Cancer Center of Excellence in Translational Research’.

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