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Study of Probiotic GanedenBC30 for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Major Depressive Disorder

A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Probiotic Ganeden BC30 (Bacillus Coagulans GBI-30, 6068) in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Comorbid With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Status
Terminated
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01337609
Enrollment
5
Registered
2011-04-19
Start date
2011-06-30
Completion date
2012-02-29
Last updated
2013-08-09

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Major Depressive Disorder, Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Keywords

Depression, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Probiotic, Bacillus Coagulans

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and effectiveness of a nutritional supplement, the probiotic bacteria GanedenBC30. Probiotics are live microorganisms which when taken in large enough amounts are supposed to provide a health benefit. The investigators would like to see whether this supplement can be used as a treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Participants in the study will have both IBS and MDD. In order to find out if GanedenBC30 is effective in treating IBS and MDD, the investigators will compare it to a placebo. About 32 people will take part in this research study. About half of these 32 people will take part at Charles River Medical Associates and half will take part at Burlington Medical Associates. Participants will be recruited from among patients already being seen at Charles River Medical Associates or Burlington Medical Associates for their primary care. The study will last for two months, during which time participants will make eight study visits and will take either Ganeden BC30 or placebo. The investigators hypothesize that subjects treated with the probiotic will have significantly better outcomes with regard to depression and IBS symptoms compared to those who receive placebo.

Interventions

DRUGGaneden BC30

2 billion CFU per capsule; One pill daily for 60 days

1 pill daily for 60 days

OTHERGaneden BC30, Placebo (sugar pill)

Ganeden BC30 (2 billion CFU per capsule), One capsule daily for 30 days Sugar Pill (placebo), One capsule daily for 30 days

Sponsors

Ganeden Biotech, Inc.
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Massachusetts General Hospital
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Able to give Informed Consent * Meet criteria for Irritable Bowel Syndrome * Meet criteria for Major Depressive Disorder * Men and women ages 18 to 65 * Women of childbearing potential must be using an adequate methods of contraception * Can be on an antidepressant medications, but must have been on the medication for at least 8 weeks and at a stable dose for 4 weeks * Can be on medications for IBS, but must have been on medications for at least 8 weeks and at a stable dose for 4 weeks

Exclusion criteria

* Patients who have failed one or more trials of probiotics for IBS * Patients who report an inadequate response to less than two or more than four adequate trails of antidepressant treatments during the current depressive episode at a therapeutic dose for an adequate duration * Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding * Patients with alarm signs or red flags as defined by American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) are excluded \[6\], unless they have been fully evaluated to rule out other significant diseases. * Patients with known diagnoses of digestive organic disease, celiac disease and lactose intolerance prior to the screening. * Patients who report an inadequate response (less than 50% decrease in depressive symptom severity) to less than two or more than four prior adequate trials of antidepressant treatments during the current depressive episode (including monotherapy treatment and distinct combination regimens) at a therapeutic dose (as defined by the MGH-ATRQ) and for an adequate duration (minimum six weeks for any monotherapy). * Patients who report treatment with adjunctive medications to their antidepressant for a minimum of four weeks during the current depressive episode. * Patients with a current need for involuntary commitment or who have been hospitalized within four weeks of the Screening Visit for the current major depressive episode. * Patients who have received ECT during the current episode. * Patients who have a current Axis I diagnosis of: Delirium, dementia, amnestic, or other cognitive disorder; Schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, based on the PDSQ; Bipolar I or II disorder, based on the PDSQ; Patients with a clinically significant Axis II (DSM-IV-TR) diagnosis of borderline, antisocial, paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal or histrionic personality disorder. * Patients experiencing hallucinations, delusions, or any psychotic symptomatology in the current depressive episode. * Patients who have met DSM-IV-TR criteria for any significant substance use disorder within the past six months, based on the PDSQ. * Patients receiving new onset depression-focused psychotherapy within 6 weeks of screening, or at any time during participation in the trial. * Patients who have been previously randomized in a probiotics clinical trial (lifetime). * Patients who have participated in any clinical trial with an investigational drug or device within the past month. * Patients who, in the opinion of the investigator, are actively suicidal or homicidal and at significant risk for suicide or homicide.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self Report (QIDS-SR)Administered at each of 8 study visits (every 10 days), Endpoint is Final VisitThe Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self Report (QIDS-SR)is a self report measure that addresses depressive symptoms. MDD responders will be defined as those exhibiting a 50% decrease in the QIDS SR at study endpoint.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
IBS Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS)Adminsitered at each of 8 study visits (every 10 days), Endpoint is Final VisitThe IBS-SSS is a validated instrument used to assess common IBS symptoms over the past 10 days including abdominal pain, distention, bowel habit, and global function. The IBS-SSS will be used to assess the absolute change in specific IBS symptoms at endpoint, namely the bloating/distension score.
Visual Analog Scale (VAS)Administered at each of 8 study visits (every 10 days), Endpoint is Final VisitThe VAS is a self-administered measure of abdominal pain, discomfort, and bloating. The change in total score from baseline to study endpoint will be assessed.
Adequate Relief of IBS Pain (AR-IBS)Adminstered at each of 8 visits (every 10 days), Endpoint is Final VisitThe AR-IBS is a self-administered measure of the adequacy of the relief of IBS pain.
Patient Global Impression of Change (PGI-C) - IBS SymptomsAdministered at each of 8 visits (every 10 days), Endpoint is Final VisitThe PGI-C is a self-administered measure of the degree of improvement in IBS symptoms compared to the first study visit. Degree of improvement in IBS symptoms from first to final visit will be assessed using this scale.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
GanedenBC30
Arm 1 will take GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086, 1 capsule/day) for 60 days.
1
Sugar Pill
Arm 2 will take placebo (sugar pill) for 60 days.
2
Ganeden BC30, Sugar Pill
Arm 3 will take placebo (sugar pill) for 30 days, followed by Ganeden BC30 for 30 days.
2
Total5

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicGanedenBC30Sugar PillGaneden BC30, Sugar PillTotal
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
1 Participants2 Participants2 Participants5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Hispanic or Latino
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Not Hispanic or Latino
1 Participants2 Participants2 Participants5 Participants
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
1 Participants2 Participants2 Participants5 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
1 participants2 participants2 participants5 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
1 Participants2 Participants2 Participants5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
— / —— / —— / —
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 21 / 11 / 2
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 20 / 10 / 2

Outcome results

Primary

Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self Report (QIDS-SR)

The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self Report (QIDS-SR)is a self report measure that addresses depressive symptoms. MDD responders will be defined as those exhibiting a 50% decrease in the QIDS SR at study endpoint.

Time frame: Administered at each of 8 study visits (every 10 days), Endpoint is Final Visit

Population: Because the study sponsor chose to discontinue funding for this protocol following a change in leadership, the study was terminated early and this outcome measure was not analyzed.

Secondary

Adequate Relief of IBS Pain (AR-IBS)

The AR-IBS is a self-administered measure of the adequacy of the relief of IBS pain.

Time frame: Adminstered at each of 8 visits (every 10 days), Endpoint is Final Visit

Population: Because the study sponsor chose to discontinue funding for this protocol following a change in leadership, the study was terminated early and this outcome measure was not analyzed.

Secondary

IBS Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS)

The IBS-SSS is a validated instrument used to assess common IBS symptoms over the past 10 days including abdominal pain, distention, bowel habit, and global function. The IBS-SSS will be used to assess the absolute change in specific IBS symptoms at endpoint, namely the bloating/distension score.

Time frame: Adminsitered at each of 8 study visits (every 10 days), Endpoint is Final Visit

Population: Because the study sponsor chose to discontinue funding for this protocol following a change in leadership, the study was terminated early and this outcome measure was not analyzed.

Secondary

Patient Global Impression of Change (PGI-C) - IBS Symptoms

The PGI-C is a self-administered measure of the degree of improvement in IBS symptoms compared to the first study visit. Degree of improvement in IBS symptoms from first to final visit will be assessed using this scale.

Time frame: Administered at each of 8 visits (every 10 days), Endpoint is Final Visit

Population: Because the study sponsor chose to discontinue funding for this protocol following a change in leadership, the study was terminated early and this outcome measure was not analyzed.

Secondary

Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

The VAS is a self-administered measure of abdominal pain, discomfort, and bloating. The change in total score from baseline to study endpoint will be assessed.

Time frame: Administered at each of 8 study visits (every 10 days), Endpoint is Final Visit

Population: Because the study sponsor chose to discontinue funding for this protocol following a change in leadership, the study was terminated early and this outcome measure was not analyzed.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026