ClostraBio and Maypro team up to bring next-gen gut probiotic to market

Chicago-based ClostraBio, which targets natural pathways to treat conditions of the lower gut, developed CLB101 as a means to support gut health. It is reportedly the first and only Anaerostipes caccae probiotic available for the dietary supplement market. The companies stated that the product, delivered in once-daily capsules, supports four essential pillars of digestive health: microbiome diversity, gut barrier function, digestive comfort and regularity. As part of the agreement, Maypro will add CLB101 to its gut health ingredient portfolio, which includes products such as Lac-Shield and Morinaga B-3. The probiotic officially launched into the North American market at the SupplySide Global event at the end of October. According to the companies, CLB101 differentiates itself from other probiotics for gut health because as it is capable of directly producing butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) that helps maintain gut barrier integrity and overall microbiome balance. Unlike conventional probiotics that indirectly influence butyrate levels, CLB101 acts as a continuous, natural source of the SCFA, the companies said. “A strict anaerobe and one of the few direct butyrate-producers, CLB101 defines a new frontier in foundational probiotics driven by cutting-edge microbiome research,” Lauren Clardy, senior director of branded ingredients at Maypro, told NutraIngredients. “CLB101 resides in the lower gut, where it was discovered to provide a natural and continuous source of butyrate.” The probiotic produces butyrate in two ways: via prebiotic fiber and by converting bacterial byproducts, acetate and lactate, she added. With the production of butyrate, the probiotic reinforces the gut lining and promote tight junction formation, helping to prevent the penetration of inflammatory molecules that can compromise gut integrity, the companies stated. ClostraBio CEO Ritu Shah said that the probiotic—itself a naturally occurring strain isolated from healthy humans— had been designed to mimic the body’s natural butyrate cycle. ClostraBio was originally spun out of the University of Chicago, where researchers were investigating the link between the microbiome and food allergies, as well as other intestinal disorders. The team focused on the SCFAs delivered from commensal bacteria, such as butyrate, and its potential role in maintaining epithelial barrier function. Oral delivery of butyrate to the small intestine and the colon is challenging for two reasons. The first being that it has a particularly strong odor and taste; and the second because it is not absorbed in the part of the gut where it can have a therapeutic effect and is metabolized too quickly to maintain a pharmacological effect, even with encapsulation. This is what led ClostraBio to develop a probiotic that was able to navigate these challenges. At present, the probiotic has been studied in toxicology and efficacy studies in animals, and a human clinical study is currently underway, Clardy noted. In preclinical models, butyrate-producing bacteria in the Clostridia class protected against intestinal inflammation. Previous research has also shown that infants with low levels of butyrate production were more likely to develop allergic sensitization. Clardy confirmed that a study is planned to test CLB101 in relation to children and food allergies in the future.