The Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of Microbial Ecosystem Therapeutic-2 in People With Major Depression

NCT ID: NCT04602715

Last Updated: 2021-05-11

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-04-01

Study Completion Date

2021-06-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

To measure the effects of Microbial Ecosystem Therapeutics (MET)-2 on symptoms of depression and anxiety using pre- and post-treatment scores for overall depression and anxiety

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

An eight week, randomized, placebo controlled trial to assess subjective changes in mood and anxiety symptoms from baseline to after MET-2 treatment in participants with depression, using MADRS, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and other mood/anxiety scales and to demonstrate a significantly higher proportion of responders in patient who were randomized to receive the active study drug compared to patients who were randomized to receive placebo.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Major Depressive Disorder Anxiety

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

two arm, randomized, placebo controlled
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors
Hospital pharmacies will be provided with the randomization code and will dispense the appropriate medication to subjects. A fire-wall exists between the pharmacies and the investigational staff.

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

MET-2 20 g

Loading dose of MET-2 is administered for the first two days, followed by a regular, daily dose for the duration of the study (6 weeks total).The loading dose will consist of 5 g of MET-2 in the form of ten capsules orally on day one and on day two. The regular daily dose will consist of 1.5 g MET-2 in the form of three MET-2 capsules taken once daily, excluding days where they take the booster (same as loading dose).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

MET-2

Intervention Type DRUG

Subjects will take capsules containing MET-2 daily during the trial. There will be a loading dose at the start of dosing, and a daily dose. There will be a booster dose given at week 2 and a second booster dose taken at week 4 for those subjects who have not improved by that time.

Placebo

Loading dose of placebo is administered for the first two days, followed by a regular, daily dose of placebo for the duration of the study (6 weeks total).The loading dose will consist of ten capsules of placebo (which match the MET-2 capsules in appearance and weight) taken orally on day one and on day two. The regular daily dose will consist of three placebo capsules taken once daily, excluding days where they take the booster (same as loading dose).

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo Control

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

MET-2

Subjects will take capsules containing MET-2 daily during the trial. There will be a loading dose at the start of dosing, and a daily dose. There will be a booster dose given at week 2 and a second booster dose taken at week 4 for those subjects who have not improved by that time.

Intervention Type DRUG

Placebo

Placebo Control

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Able to provide informed consent.
2. Not pregnant
3. Willing to participate in follow up as part of the study
4. Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
5. Current depressive episode with a Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score of ≥15.
6. Able to understand and comply with the requirements of the study
7. Able to provide stool, urine, and blood samples.
8. Those who do not choose to use antidepressants for moderate-severe depression.

Exclusion Criteria

1. History of chronic diarrhea
2. Need for regular use of agents that affect gastro-intestinal (GI) motility (narcotics such as codeine or morphine, agents such as loperamide or metoclopramide)
3. Colostomy
4. Elective surgery that will require preoperative antibiotics planned within 6 months of enrolment
5. History of bariatric surgery.
6. Pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to get pregnant in the next 6 months
7. Any condition for which, in the opinion of the investigator, the participant should be excluded from the study.
8. Current use of any antidepressant/antianxiety drug (eligible to participate after a 4-week washout period)
9. More than three depressive episodes throughout lifetime
10. Having failed an anti-depressant treatment during current depressive episode
11. Use of any antibiotic drug in the past 4 weeks (may be eligible to participate after a 1-month washout period)
12. History of alcohol or substance dependence in the past 6 months
13. Daily use of probiotic product in the past 2 weeks (may be eligible to participate after a 2-week washout period)
14. Use of any type of laxative in the last 2 weeks.
15. Consumption of products fortified in probiotics (may be eligible to participate after a 2-week washout period)
16. High suicidal risk, as measured by MADRS item 10 score more than 3
17. Current psychotic symptoms
18. Bipolar Depression
19. History of epilepsy or uncontrolled seizures
20. Immunodeficiency (immuno-compromised and immuno-suppressed participants; e.g. acquired immune deficiency syndrome \[AIDS\], lymphoma, participants undergoing long-term corticosteroid treatment, chemotherapy and allograft participants)
21. Unstable medical conditions or serious diseases/conditions (e.g. cancer, cardiovascular, renal, lung, diabetes, psychiatric illness, bleeding disorders, etc.)
22. The use of natural health products (NHP); e.g. St. John's Wort, passion flower, etc.) that affect depression
23. History of Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

45 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

NuBiyota

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Roumen Milev, MD/PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Queens University

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Providence Care Hospital

Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Site Status RECRUITING

CAMH

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Canada

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Arthi C Meyyappan, MSc

Role: CONTACT

647.226.2803

Roumen Milev, MD/PhD

Role: CONTACT

613.544.4900 ext. 73002

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Cassandra Sgarbossa, BSc

Role: primary

(519) 404-4326

Roumen Milev, MD, PhD

Role: backup

(613) 544-4900 ext. 73002

Ilona Gorbovskaya, MSc

Role: primary

416 535-8501 ext. 30231

Daniel Mueller, MD/PhD

Role: backup

416 535-8501 ext. 30851

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Chinna Meyyappan A, Sgarbossa C, Bromley H, Forth E, Muller DJ, Vazquez G, Cabrera C, Milev R. The Safety and Efficacy of Microbial Ecosystem Therapeutic-2 in People With Major Depression - A Phase 2, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study: Clinical Results: Innocuite et efficacite du traitement de l'ecosysteme microbien (met-2) dans la depression majeure - une etude de phase 2 a double insu controlee par placebo : resultats cliniques. Can J Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 21:7067437251328270. doi: 10.1177/07067437251328270. Online ahead of print.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40116713 (View on PubMed)

Chinna Meyyappan A, Sgarbossa C, Vazquez G, Bond DJ, Muller DJ, Milev R. The Safety and Efficacy of Microbial Ecosystem Therapeutic-2 in People With Major Depression: Protocol for a Phase 2, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. JMIR Res Protoc. 2021 Sep 22;10(9):e31439. doi: 10.2196/31439.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 34550085 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

MET-2 301-2

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Microdosing Psychedelics to Improve Mood
NCT05259943 COMPLETED PHASE2
Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression
NCT06230757 ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING PHASE2