Amway makes Korea launchpad for personalized gut health and AI wellness

By Yeom Hyun-a, ChosunBiz - Matt Runyon, Amway's global head of microbiome and probiotics research and development (R&D), whom we met on the 3rd at Amway Korea's headquarters in Samseong-dong, Seoul, said, "Korea is a strategic test bed that validates Amway's global innovations first."

As gut health draws attention as a key factor that affects not only digestion but also immunity, metabolism, skin, and even overall health and disease, research into the gut microbial ecosystem—the microbiome—is evolving rapidly.

Global healthcare corporations Amway is expanding its personalized healthcare business and using Korea as the world's first stage to validate new technologies.

Founded in the United States in 1959, Amway grew around the health supplement brand "Nutrilite." Recently, it has expanded beyond simply selling supplements into a personalized healthcare corporations using the microbiome and artificial intelligence (AI).

After completing his master's and doctoral programs in chemistry at the University of Chicago in the United States, Runyon joined Amway in 2011. For about 16 years, he led microbiome research on the gut and skin, and he now oversees research and development in personalized microbiomes, wellness, and nutrition and beauty, as well as global healthcare strategy.

◇"U.S. and China lead in research, but … Korea has the highest consumer understanding and acceptance"

Amway chose Korea as its global test bed because of consumers' high level of understanding and acceptance.

In 2022, Amway launched the personalized gut health management service "my LAB (my LAB)" in Korea for the first time in the world. Co-developed with domestic biotech company HEM Pharma, the service analyzes gut microbes and metabolites to recommend probiotics suited to individuals. Since launch, it has amassed data from more than 110,000 cases, and Amway considers this one of the world's largest personalized microbiome databases. In May, it expanded the service to Japan.

In January, it also introduced the AI-based healthy longevity platform "myWellness LAB (myWellness LAB)" in Korea first. In September, it plans to unveil a new gut health solution in Korea for the first time in the world.

Runyon said, "Our market research found that Korean consumers understood the concept that 'gut health is the core of overall health' far better than consumers in other countries," adding, "There was little resistance even to programs requiring stool tests, showing strong acceptance of new personalized services."

Based on these market characteristics, since 2020 Amway has been working with Amway Korea to launch new technologies and services in Korea first, then accumulating consumer responses and data.

The push to formalize microbiome research began under the Obama administration in the United States. In the 2010s, the U.S. government designated gut microbe research a national strategic task and pursued large-scale R&D. As a result, analytical equipment and research platforms advanced rapidly, and global microbiome research also accelerated. Amway likewise strengthened its research capabilities during this period and expanded into personalized healthcare.

Runyon assessed, "When it comes to the general public's understanding of the role of the microbiome and gut health, Korea is far ahead of the United States."

This assessment aligns with the view of domestic experts. Oh Se-jong, president of the Korea Probiotics and Microbiome Society (professor at Chonnam National University), said, "During the Obama administration, the United States pursued the 'Microbiome Initiative' as a national strategic research program, and related equipment and analytic technologies advanced rapidly," adding, "Korea was a latecomer, but based on its diverse fermented food culture and experience in gut microbe research, it has now secured world-class technological capabilities."

He added, "The microbiome market is rapidly expanding beyond supplements into pharmaceuticals," and forecast, "Drug development is still led by the United States and Europe, but Korea will soon be able to narrow much of the technology gap."

◇"Focus of gut health research shifts from 'gut microbes' to the 'gut barrier'"

Recent microbiome research has evolved beyond identifying types of gut microbes to determining the mechanisms by which they affect health. In particular, the role of the "barrier" that protects the gut, skin, and oral cavity has emerged as a new research topic.

The gut barrier is the body's shield that absorbs nutrients we ingest while blocking harmful substances such as bacteria and toxins from entering the body. Studies are piling up that when the barrier function weakens and permeability increases—a "leaky gut" state—substances that should not enter the bloodstream can flow into the body and affect overall health.

Runyon explained, "Recent research has progressed beyond confirming that the microbiome is related to health to elucidating the actual mechanisms by which it affects health and disease."

In particular, he cited butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut microbes, as a key substance. Butyrate is known to be a major energy source for the epithelial cells that form the gut barrier and plays an important role in maintaining barrier function.

Runyon said, "In a recently released study, we confirmed that when probiotics were taken together with the 'Begin' formula set to launch in September, butyrate production increased significantly," adding, "This suggests potential benefits not only for gut health but also for strengthening gut barrier health."

He added, "If probiotics are the seeds, the Begin formula is the soil," explaining, "Just as good soil is needed for seeds to grow healthily, using the two products together allows gut microbes to function in the best possible environment."

◇"Data and AI are the future competitive edge"

Runyon predicted that the competitiveness of the microbiome industry will ultimately be determined by data and AI.

He said, "Microbiome composition varies greatly by person and also differs widely by country and region," adding, "The corporations or countries that secure vast datasets and analyze them with AI to draw meaningful conclusions will lead this field."

He added, "Korea is well positioned to accumulate high-quality data thanks to strong consumer participation and high acceptance of personalized services," and forecast, "If this data is combined with AI, Korea can secure sufficient leadership in the global microbiome market."

He also said microbiome research will bring major changes to future drug development.

Runyon said, "One reason the same drug works differently for different people may be the microbiome," adding, "We are heading into an era when understanding interactions between the microbiome and medicines will enable more effective therapies and personalized treatment strategies."

He added, "Amway's goal is not to be a fast follower but a leader," and said, "Korea, with high consumer understanding and the capacity to amass vast data, will continue to be the starting point for global innovation."

Source:https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-science/2026/07/08/KI5CR5XG7NAAJLM37XVDLWI5FI/