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Visbiome probiotic approved for IBS in Canada
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Health Canada has approved the probiotic Visbiome as a Natural Health Product for treating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in adults and children aged older than 5 years, the manufacturer announced.
Launched in both the U.S. and Canada in 2016, Visbiome (ExeGi Pharma) is a high potency blend of eight live freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria strains. The formula is comparable to VSL#3, according to a press release, and it is intended to relieve symptoms associated with ulcerative colitis, chronic pouchitis, irritable bowel syndrome and other GI conditions.
“With this new approval, physicians now have access to an important new clinical tool for managing symptoms of IBS,” Claudio De Simone, MD, inventor of the formulation used in Visbiome, said in the press release.
In addition to IBS, Visbiome is now approved by Health Canada for balancing the gut microbiota and reducing the risk for relapse in pouchitis patients, and in the U.S. it is defined as a medical food to be administered under the supervision of a physician.
The press release also noted that Visbiome has been tested in more than 60 human clinical trials, and eight ongoing clinical trials are evaluating it in several other conditions including HIV, autism spectrum disorders, and liver cirrhosis.
“Chronic IBS is a common problem in Canada and can have a significant impact on an IBS sufferer’s quality of life,” Jeffrey Roberts, MSEd, BSc, and founder of the IBS Patient Support Group, IBSPatient.org, said in the press release. “A treatment option such as modulating the gut microbiome with high potency probiotics has proven to be a valuable tool to help many people manage some of the common symptoms of IBS.”
Disclosures: De Simone is the inventor of the probiotic formulation in Visbiome and is an employee of ExeGi Pharma. Roberts reports no relevant financial disclosures.