Bipolar DisorderNCT05762887
Clinical Evaluation of the Antidepressant Effect of the Use of Probiotics in Bipolar Disorder
A study testing Probiotic Group in people with Bipolar Disorder, run by University of Sao Paulo at 1 site in Brazil.
Trial summary
Bipolar Disorder (BD) is highly incapacitating and associated with premature mortality. Depressive symptoms and episodes are the most frequent cause of disability in subjects with BD and over half of patients do not respond adequately to approved treatments for this condition, showing the need for new classes of… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Bipolar Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Probiotic Group
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 141 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBrazil
- Study dates
- 9 Jan 2023to 1 Mar 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- BD type I or type II, according to the use of Mini Internacional Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
- Score on the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) < 8
- Score on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) > 8
- Be receiving major guideline-approved treatments for bipolar depression for at least 4 weeks
Who cannot join
- Pregnant or lactating women
- Substance or alcohol dependence
- Patients on prolonged antibiotic therapy, immunosuppressive therapies
- A recent introduction of antidepressants in the last 15 days
- Use of another probiotic, either in the form of food, sachets, capsules and others
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Clinical Evaluation of the Antidepressant Effect of the Use of Probiotics in Bipolar Disorder and Possible Mediating Effects of Systemic and Intestinal Inflammatory Markers in the Microbiota
Bipolar Disorder (BD) is highly incapacitating and associated with premature mortality. Depressive symptoms and episodes are the most frequent cause of disability in subjects with BD and over half of patients do not respond adequately to approved treatments for this condition, showing the need for new classes of treatments to complement current pharmacotherapy. Previous studies demonstrated that the intestinal flora have potential positive or negative effects on the Central Nervous System and suggest that adding specific strains of bacteria to people's diet may have antidepressant properties.The study proposes to evaluate the clinical benefit of adding probiotics to pharmacological treatments for bipolar depression. This will be a study with 124 subjects (62 receiving probiotics and 62 placebo). The research team in this department has focused especially on non-pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder (psychotherapy, nutrition and exercise) and is multidisciplinary in scope with psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, physiotherapists and nutritionists participating in research projects.
Read the detailed description
It will test, in a proof-of-concept study, the antidepressant efficacy of adjunctive administration of probiotics in bipolar depression and evaluate potential inflammatory and metabolic markers associated with response to treatment. With this objective, 84 individuals with bipolar disorder type I or type II presenting subsyndromal depressive symptoms or a major depressive episode will be recruited. The study design lasts 12 weeks and is expected to last two years.
- Conditions
- Bipolar Disorder
- Being tested
- Probiotic Group, Placebo Group
- Medical subject headings
- Bipolar Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Probiotic GroupOther
The 124 participants will participate in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in two arms. The probiotic group will consist of 62 patients. These patients will be recruited from the USP Bipolar Disorder Program. This program has an outpatient clinic that offers free medical care to a population of different ethnic groups, with the majority of subjects coming from the middle and lower social classes.
Placebo GroupOther
The 124 participants will participate in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in two arms. The placebo group will consist of 62 patients. These patients will be recruited from the USP Bipolar Disorder Program. This program has an outpatient clinic that offers free medical care to a population of different ethnic groups, with the majority of subjects coming from the middle and lower social classes.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Probiotic group | Experimental | In addition to the usual medication treatment for bipolar disorder, following the main international guidelines for the treatment of bipolar disorder, subjects will receive food supplementation with a probiotic formulation, twice daily, with food. We will use Pendulum Therapeutics' Glucose Control, probiotic formulation patented in the United States.
Probiotic Ingredients: Clostridium butyricum WB-STR-0006, Clostridium beijerinckii WB-STR-0005, Anaerobutyricum hallii WB-STR-0008, Akkermansia muciniphila WB-STR-0001, and Bifidobacterium infantis.
The product also contains: Chicory inulin and oligofructose (prebiotic fiber), hypromellose (vegetarian capsule), fruit \& vegetable juice (coloring agent), magnesium stearate and silica (flow agent for encapsulation) Receives: Other: Probiotic Group |
| Placebo Group | Placebo comparator | In addition to the usual medication treatment for bipolar disorder, following the main international guidelines for the treatment of bipolar disorder, the subjects will receive food supplementation with a placebo formulation, twice daily, with food We will use Pendulum Therapeutics' placebo formulation that contains:
Chicory inulin and oligofructose (prebiotic fiber), hypromellose (vegetarian capsule), fruit \& vegetable juice (coloring agent), magnesium stearate and silica (flow agent for encapsulation) Receives: Other: Placebo Group |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Outcome
The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) will be used in order to evaluate the reduction of depressive symptoms. Response to treatment at week-12 will be defined as ≥ 50% reduction in total MADRS total score from baseline. Remission will be defined as MADRS total score ≤ 12.
Measured: 12 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Mar 2023
- Study start9 Jan 2023
- Primary completion1 Mar 2025
- Study completion1 Mar 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (6)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Bipolar DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of Sao PauloThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 141 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Sao Paulo
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Baszucki Brain Research Fund, Milken Institute
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Beny Lafer, University of Sao Paulo
- Investigators
- Beny lafer, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Sao Paulo
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05762887
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- U1111-1280-7625
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 11 Jan 2023
- Last updated
- 13 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Dinan TG, Cryan JF. The Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis in Health and Disease. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2017 Mar;46(1):77-89. doi: 10.1016/j.gtc.2016.09.007. Epub 2017 Jan 4.
PubMed 28164854Huang R, Wang K, Hu J. Effect of Probiotics on Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2016 Aug 6;8(8):483. doi: 10.3390/nu8080483.
PubMed 27509521Ho P, Ross DA. More Than a Gut Feeling: The Implications of the Gut Microbiota in Psychiatry. Biol Psychiatry. 2017 Mar 1;81(5):e35-e37. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.12.018. No abstract available.
PubMed 28137375Miyaoka T, Kanayama M, Wake R, Hashioka S, Hayashida M, Nagahama M, Okazaki S, Yamashita S, Miura S, Miki H, Matsuda H, Koike M, Izuhara M, Araki T, Tsuchie K, Azis IA, Arauchi R, Abdullah RA, Oh-Nishi A, Horiguchi J. Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI 588 as Adjunctive Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Major Depressive Disorder: A Prospective Open-Label Trial. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2018 Sep/Oct;41(5):151-155. doi: 10.1097/WNF.0000000000000299.
PubMed 30234616Perraudeau F, McMurdie P, Bullard J, Cheng A, Cutcliffe C, Deo A, Eid J, Gines J, Iyer M, Justice N, Loo WT, Nemchek M, Schicklberger M, Souza M, Stoneburner B, Tyagi S, Kolterman O. Improvements to postprandial glucose control in subjects with type 2 diabetes: a multicenter, double blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial of a novel probiotic formulation. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2020 Jul;8(1):e001319. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2020-001319.
PubMed 32675291Yatham LN, Kennedy SH, Parikh SV, Schaffer A, Bond DJ, Frey BN, Sharma V, Goldstein BI, Rej S, Beaulieu S, Alda M, MacQueen G, Milev RV, Ravindran A, O'Donovan C, McIntosh D, Lam RW, Vazquez G, Kapczinski F, McIntyre RS, Kozicky J, Kanba S, Lafer B, Suppes T, Calabrese JR, Vieta E, Malhi G, Post RM, Berk M. Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) and International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) 2018 guidelines for the management of patients with bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord. 2018 Mar;20(2):97-170. doi: 10.1111/bdi.12609. Epub 2018 Mar 14.
PubMed 29536616
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Clinical Evaluation of the Antidepressant Effect of the Use of Probiotics in Bipolar Disorder and Possible Mediating Effects of Systemic and Intestinal Inflammatory Markers in the Microbiota
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05762887
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- U1111-1280-7625
- Conditions
- Bipolar Disorder
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 141 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Sao PauloUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Baszucki Brain Research Fund, Milken Institute
- Study start
- 9 Jan 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Mar 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 10 Mar 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Bipolar Disorder (BD) is highly incapacitating and associated with premature mortality. Depressive symptoms and episodes are the most frequent cause of disability in subjects with BD and over half of patients do not respond adequately to approved treatments for this condition, showing the need for new classes of treatments to complement current pharmacotherapy. Previous studies demonstrated that the intestinal flora have potential positive or negative effects on the Central Nervous System and suggest that adding specific strains of bacteria to people's diet may have antidepressant properties.The study proposes to evaluate the clinical benefit of adding probiotics to pharmacological treatments for bipolar depression. This will be a study with 124 subjects (62 receiving probiotics and 62 placebo). The research team in this department has focused especially on non-pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder (psychotherapy, nutrition and exercise) and is multidisciplinary in scope with psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, physiotherapists and nutritionists participating in research projects.
Detailed description
It will test, in a proof-of-concept study, the antidepressant efficacy of adjunctive administration of probiotics in bipolar depression and evaluate potential inflammatory and metabolic markers associated with response to treatment. With this objective, 84 individuals with bipolar disorder type I or type II presenting subsyndromal depressive symptoms or a major depressive episode will be recruited. The study design lasts 12 weeks and is expected to last two years.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Probiotic group | Experimental | Other: Probiotic GroupIn addition to the usual medication treatment for bipolar disorder, following the main international guidelines for the treatment of bipolar disorder, subjects will receive food supplementation with a probiotic formulation, twice daily, with food. We will use Pendulum Therapeutics' Glucose Control, probiotic formulation patented in the United States. Probiotic Ingredients: Clostridium butyricum WB-STR-0006, Clostridium beijerinckii WB-STR-0005, Anaerobutyricum hallii WB-STR-0008, Akkermansia muciniphila WB-STR-0001, and Bifidobacterium infantis. The product also contains: Chicory inulin and oligofructose (prebiotic fiber), hypromellose (vegetarian capsule), fruit \& vegetable juice (coloring agent), magnesium stearate and silica (flow agent for encapsulation) |
| Placebo Group | Placebo comparator | Other: Placebo GroupIn addition to the usual medication treatment for bipolar disorder, following the main international guidelines for the treatment of bipolar disorder, the subjects will receive food supplementation with a placebo formulation, twice daily, with food We will use Pendulum Therapeutics' placebo formulation that contains: Chicory inulin and oligofructose (prebiotic fiber), hypromellose (vegetarian capsule), fruit \& vegetable juice (coloring agent), magnesium stearate and silica (flow agent for encapsulation) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- BD type I or type II, according to the use of Mini Internacional Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
- Score on the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) < 8
- Score on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) > 8
- Be receiving major guideline-approved treatments for bipolar depression for at least 4 weeks
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Pregnant or lactating women
- Substance or alcohol dependence
- Patients on prolonged antibiotic therapy, immunosuppressive therapies
- A recent introduction of antidepressants in the last 15 days
- Use of another probiotic, either in the form of food, sachets, capsules and others
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Probiotic GroupThe 124 participants will participate in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in two arms. The probiotic group will consist of 62 patients. These patients will be recruited from the USP Bipolar Disorder Program. This program has an outpatient clinic that offers free medical care to a population of different ethnic groups, with the majority of subjects coming from the middle and lower social classes. | Other | Probiotic group |
| Placebo GroupThe 124 participants will participate in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in two arms. The placebo group will consist of 62 patients. These patients will be recruited from the USP Bipolar Disorder Program. This program has an outpatient clinic that offers free medical care to a population of different ethnic groups, with the majority of subjects coming from the middle and lower social classes. | Other | Placebo Group |
Primary outcome
Outcome
Time frame: 12 weeks
The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) will be used in order to evaluate the reduction of depressive symptoms. Response to treatment at week-12 will be defined as ≥ 50% reduction in total MADRS total score from baseline. Remission will be defined as MADRS total score ≤ 12.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 May 2026.
- Background: PubMed 28164854Dinan TG, Cryan JF. The Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis in Health and Disease. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2017 Mar;46(1):77-89. doi: 10.1016/j.gtc.2016.09.007. Epub 2017 Jan 4.
- Background: PubMed 27509521Huang R, Wang K, Hu J. Effect of Probiotics on Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2016 Aug 6;8(8):483. doi: 10.3390/nu8080483.
- Background: PubMed 28137375Ho P, Ross DA. More Than a Gut Feeling: The Implications of the Gut Microbiota in Psychiatry. Biol Psychiatry. 2017 Mar 1;81(5):e35-e37. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.12.018. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 30234616Miyaoka T, Kanayama M, Wake R, Hashioka S, Hayashida M, Nagahama M, Okazaki S, Yamashita S, Miura S, Miki H, Matsuda H, Koike M, Izuhara M, Araki T, Tsuchie K, Azis IA, Arauchi R, Abdullah RA, Oh-Nishi A, Horiguchi J. Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI 588 as Adjunctive Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Major Depressive Disorder: A Prospective Open-Label Trial. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2018 Sep/Oct;41(5):151-155. doi: 10.1097/WNF.0000000000000299.
- Background: PubMed 32675291Perraudeau F, McMurdie P, Bullard J, Cheng A, Cutcliffe C, Deo A, Eid J, Gines J, Iyer M, Justice N, Loo WT, Nemchek M, Schicklberger M, Souza M, Stoneburner B, Tyagi S, Kolterman O. Improvements to postprandial glucose control in subjects with type 2 diabetes: a multicenter, double blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial of a novel probiotic formulation. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2020 Jul;8(1):e001319. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2020-001319.
- Background: PubMed 29536616Yatham LN, Kennedy SH, Parikh SV, Schaffer A, Bond DJ, Frey BN, Sharma V, Goldstein BI, Rej S, Beaulieu S, Alda M, MacQueen G, Milev RV, Ravindran A, O'Donovan C, McIntosh D, Lam RW, Vazquez G, Kapczinski F, McIntyre RS, Kozicky J, Kanba S, Lafer B, Suppes T, Calabrese JR, Vieta E, Malhi G, Post RM, Berk M. Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) and International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) 2018 guidelines for the management of patients with bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord. 2018 Mar;20(2):97-170. doi: 10.1111/bdi.12609. Epub 2018 Mar 14.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Beny lafer, PhD principal investigator
University of Sao Paulo
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Probiotic Group in people with Bipolar Disorder, run by University of Sao Paulo at 1 site in Brazil.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Brazil. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Outcome (time frame: 12 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05762887, which also lists 6 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 May 2026.