Ganeden, Schiff to Study Effects of GanedenBC30 Probiotic on Mature Adults

Ganeden Biotech (Cleveland) and Schiff Nutrition International Inc. announced plans to partner on a study led by the University of Reading (London) on the effects of probiotic strain GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086) on mature adults. (Schiff Nutrition acquired Ganeden’s GanedenBC30 human supplements business last year.)

The University of Reading study will be a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, single-center crossover study on 40 healthy adults ages 65 to 80 years old. It will include a four-month randomized, double-blind, crossover treatment period with GanedenBC30 or placebo. The study will begin enrolling subjects in June in London, and results are anticipated to be available in late 2012.

According to the companies, immunity and gastrointestinal needs change with age. “When you are younger, you have a healthier balance of good and bad bacteria. As people age, this shifts and often the bad bacteria in the gut increases,” stated Glenn Gibson, professor of food microbial sciences at the University of Reading, in a press release. He added that as a result, mature adults may begin to experience more gastrointestinal issues accompanied by changes in immune function.

“The goal of the study is to determine if we give a probiotic to a healthy, aging population of 60 years or older, can the GI flora revert back to its original form?” he said.

Gibson will be the senior author of the study, which will be titled, “A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled cross over study to determine the effect of probiotic GanedenBC30 on the immune function and gut microbiota of elderly persons.”

Ganeden and Schiff will fund the study. “This study is mutually beneficial for Ganeden and Schiff,” said David Keller, vice president of scientific operations for Ganeden Biotech, in a press release. “Our hope is to gain a better understanding of the gut with age and to further establish that GanedenBC30 can help support GI and immune health.”

“We look forward to continuing our strategic relationship with Ganeden as we collaborate on this study to determine the effects of GanedenBC30 on important areas of human health, such as immunity,” added Shane E. Durkee, Schiff’s senior vice president of research and development.