Microbiome Driven Innovation – Benjamin Hadida

In this special episode of SpreadLove in Organizations, in partnership with the Boston Biotechnology Summit, Naji Gehchan welcomes Benjamin Hadida, co-founder and CEO of Exeliom Biosciences, a French clinical-stage biotech company pioneering microbiome-based immunomodulation therapies. Benjamin shares his inspiring journey from studying finance and molecular biology to creating his “dream job” — building a biotech company developing novel drugs from scratch. Motivated by the strong scientific potential in France and the desire to bridge academia with industry, he co-founded Exeliom to transform promising academic discoveries into real-world treatments. Under his leadership, Exeliom has raised $29 million to advance EXL01, a first-in-class therapy targeting the innate immune system, now in Phase 2 trials for oncology, inflammatory bowel disease, and infectious diseases.

Benjamin reflects on the early challenges of founding a biotech without a predefined roadmap, emphasizing the value of curiosity, humility, and adaptability. With no regulatory precedent or traditional C-suite structure, his team built a unique organization focused entirely on what their lead program needed to reach the clinic — not on personal titles or egos. This disciplined focus, coupled with clear alignment among co-founders and scientific advisors, allowed Exeliom to move an academic concept into advanced clinical trials. He highlights one key leadership lesson for biotech founders: always ask, “What does the program need?” — a mindset that drives both strategic clarity and organizational culture, ensuring every decision serves the science and the patients it aims to help.

Benjamin also dives into the science behind Exeliom’s groundbreaking approach. Rather than targeting a molecule, their innovation emerged from clinical observations linking patient responses to immunotherapy with gut microbiome composition. Exeliom’s therapy leverages a specific bacterial strain, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, to modulate macrophages via the innate immune receptor NOD2 — effectively enhancing immune responses depending on disease context. Looking ahead, Benjamin sees EXL01 as an add-on immunomodulator that could boost responses to checkpoint inhibitors or anti-TNF treatments. His biggest challenge now is educating pharma partners about the real potential of microbiome-based therapies, often misunderstood after past industry missteps.

"Put yourself behind others, not in front of them… You cannot be successful without love."

MEET OUR GUESTS Benjamin Hadida, Co-Founder & CEO of Exeliom Biosciences.

Benjamin Hadida is co-founder of Exeliom Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotech company founded in 2016 in France, winner of the Biotech Summit Pitch this year. With experience spanning investment banking, venture capital, regulatory affairs, biotech operations, and applied research, Benjamin brings a multidisciplinary perspective to biotech innovation. He holds master’s degrees in Management from ESSEC Business School, and Molecular and Cellular Biology from Sorbonne. Under his leadership, Exeliom has raised $29 million to develop EXL01, a groundbreaking microbiome-based immunomodulator targeting the innate immune system. This first-in-class therapy is now in Phase 2 trials for Immuno-oncology, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Infectious Diseases.