Stercora Biosciences

A gut bacterium linked to
protection against infection
now a therapeutic platform.

We are developing Prevotella stercorea-based probiotic, postbiotic, and diagnostic products grounded in peer-reviewed human cohort evidence and protected by provisional US patent.

Explore the science ↓
633
Gambian children
IHAT-GUT cohort
Nat. Comms
Published 2025
Peer-reviewed
US 63/889,372
Provisional patent
filed Sept 2025
PCT Aug '26
International filing
in preparation
01 — The Discovery

A species-specific
gut–immune signal

In a longitudinal cohort of 633 Gambian children aged 6–35 months, depletion of P. stercorea consistently preceded infectious adverse events. Protection against acute respiratory infection persisted after full adjustment for microbiome richness — identifying a signal consistent with a species-autonomous gut–immune pathway rather than a general diversity effect.

A co-occurring species, P. copri, contributed similarly to richness but showed no independent protective signal in joint modelling, confirming specificity to P. stercorea. Protection extended to febrile illness independent of richness, consistent with broad-spectrum innate immune priming.

This is a single-species therapeutic signal, not a microbiome-diversity platform.

Protection against infection is species-specific to P. stercorea and microbiome-independent — a direct gut–immune axis, not a richness proxy.
−31% / −80%
Group-level reductions in overall infectious burden (31%) and diarrhoeal illness (80%); 44% ARI and 31% fever reduction at the individual level
IRR 0.946
ARI incidence per log-unit increase in P. stercorea abundance; unchanged after richness adjustment (IRR 0.942, p = 0.002, q = 0.009 after BH correction)
Sobel p = 0.588
Richness not on the causal pathway; supports direct species-specific immune effect
p = 0.012
Interaction p-value: protection strongest in immunologically depleted, low-WAZ hosts
P. copri: ns
No independent signal in joint modelling; confirms specificity to P. stercorea
02 — Mechanism

How P. stercorea
protects the host

01
Gut–Lung Axis
Gut-resident P. stercorea signals through mucosal immune networks to prime innate defences at distal mucosal sites, including the respiratory tract. The axis operates independently of broader microbiome composition.
02
Immune Modulation
P. stercorea modulates host inflammatory tone in a context-dependent manner, supported by biomarker evidence across WAZ strata. In low-immune-reserve hosts: CRP suppression, consistent with tonic innate priming. In higher-reserve hosts: AGP elevation, consistent with active immune engagement. All four inflammation × WAZ interactions survive FDR correction (q ≤ 0.018) — not seen for P. copri, confirming species specificity.
03
Western Relevance
The western adult microbiome shares the low-richness, low-redundancy architecture of the 1–2 year paediatric gut in which P. stercorea protection was strongest. The formal test of restriction to low-immune-reserve hosts was not significant (interaction q = 0.112) — consistent with broader protection amplified by host context, not confined to it.
03 — Platform

Probiotic, postbiotic
& diagnostic

Stercora Biosciences is building a multi-modality platform around P. stercorea. A live biotherapeutic is the lead programme; postbiotic derivatives and a companion diagnostic extend the addressable opportunity across regulated and consumer markets.

🦠
Live Biotherapeutic
P. stercorea as a live probiotic therapeutic. GMP-candidate strain isolation via Prof. Karen Scott (Aberdeen). Oxford gnotobiotic causal challenge programme designed with Prof. Kevin Foster.
⚗️
Postbiotic Derivatives
Patent claims covering metabolites, extracellular vesicles, secreted proteins, and cell-wall fractions derived from P. stercorea — enabling heat-stable, scalable non-live formulations for consumer and OTC markets.
🔬
Companion Diagnostic
Stool-based qPCR assay for infection-risk stratification using P. stercorea abundance and microbiome vulnerability profiling. IP-protected. Licensing pathway active.
04 — Pipeline & Markets

From discovery
to addressable markets

Indication Rationale Product form Stage
Respiratory Infection Prevention Direct clinical evidence from IHAT-GUT trial. Primary indication with strongest evidence base. Probiotic capsule / postbiotic Lead programme
Pandemic Preparedness Innate, host-directed immune priming upstream of pathogen identity — effective independent of circulating strain and vaccine availability. Postbiotic format supports rapid deployment without cold chain. Postbiotic / probiotic supplement; BARDA / CEPI grant track Active funding narrative
Immune Health (Consumer) Western microbiome shares structural vulnerability with the high-protection paediatric phenotype. OTC immune-support formulation Concept validation
Competitive Athletes Upper respiratory illness during competition creates a high-value prevention market among elite and endurance athletes. Sports-performance probiotic Partnership exploration
Paediatric & Elderly Wellness Toddlers and elderly adults both exhibit microbiome contraction, elevated infection burden, and high consumer demand. Paediatric drops / adult capsules Oxford study planned
LMIC Paediatric Health High infection burden with translational pathways through global health partnerships and nutritional platforms. Sachet or fortified weaning food Phase 1 planning
Companion Diagnostic Stool qPCR assay for infection-risk stratification using P. stercorea abundance and microbiome profiling. Diagnostic licensing IP protected
Oncology Immune Support Global cancer incidence is inversely distributed with P. stercorea abundance. The same innate priming deficit that amplifies infection risk in low-richness paediatric microbiomes may elevate the chronic inflammatory baseline permissive to oncogenesis in depleted western microbiomes. Hypothesis-generating; preclinical programme planned. Adjunct probiotic; immunotherapy support Horizon
05 — Science & IP

Built on published
human evidence

The programme originates from the IHAT-GUT randomised controlled trial (NCT02941081, n=633), a Gates Foundation-funded study of iron supplementation in Gambian children that became the discovery platform for the P. stercorea therapeutic signal.

The analytical programme comprising species-specific ARI protection, WAZ-stratified infection analyses, prospective directionality testing, and richness specificity diagnostics was conducted independently by the founding team and published in Nature Communications (2025).

A companion mechanistic manuscript characterising the dual ecological pathways linking the gut microbiome to infection susceptibility is currently under peer review. A preprint is available at doi.org/10.64898/2026.05.26.26354151.

No prior art has been identified describing P. stercorea as protective against infection, establishing clear freedom to operate.

Provisional Patent
US 63/889,372
Filed Sept 2025
PCT Filing
International filing
planned Aug 2026
Claims Scope
Therapeutic, diagnostic, nutritional, and platform claims
Freedom to Operate
No prior art describing P. stercorea as infection-protective
Nature Communications · 2025
Gut Prevotella stercorea associates with protection against infection in rural African children
Ofordile O. et al. · IHAT-GUT trial cohort (NCT02941081) · n=633 children aged 6–35 months, The Gambia · MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM
06 — Emerging Horizon

From infection
to cancer risk

P. stercorea suppresses systemic inflammation through a species-autonomous pathway concentrated in hosts with low immune-metabolic reserve. Global cancer incidence is inversely distributed with Prevotella abundance. These observations are consistent: loss of tonic innate priming in the depleted western microbiome may raise the chronic inflammatory baseline permissive to oncogenesis. This is a hypothesis. The preclinical experiments to test it — retrospective immunotherapy metagenome cohort analysis and gnotobiotic carcinogenesis models — are the next stage of the Stercora programme.

Global overlay of P. stercorea abundance and age-standardised cancer incidence
Ecological overlay: global P. stercorea abundance vs age-standardised cancer incidence (GLOBOCAN 2020 / IARC·WHO). Hypothesis-generating only — does not establish causation. Multiple confounders including lifespan, diagnostic ascertainment, and lifestyle factors apply.
07 — Team & Collaborators

Founded on
deep expertise

OO
Dr. Ogochukwu Nwora Ofordile
Founder & CEO
MD and public health scientist (LSHTM). Discoverer and inventor of the P. stercorea therapeutic platform. Built the programme through independent unfunded research spanning discovery, analytics, IP generation, and translational strategy.
KF
Prof. Kevin R. Foster
Scientific Collaborator — Oxford
Professor of Evolutionary Biology, University of Oxford. Foster Lab is designing the gnotobiotic validation programme and advising on microbiome ecology and colonisation biology.
KS
Prof. Karen Scott
Collaborator — Aberdeen
Leading expert in anaerobic gut bacteriology and Prevotella culture. Planned role includes isolation and characterisation of proprietary strains.
08 — Contact

Get in touch

Stercora Biosciences is currently raising seed capital and welcoming conversations with investors, strategic partners, and scientific collaborators. We are a Delaware C-Corp.

Founder & CEO
Dr. Ogochukwu Ofordile
Email
ogo@stercora.bio
Incorporation
Delaware C-Corp · May 2026