Sun Genomics and NZMP Expand Partnership to Pursue Gut Health and Mental Wellness Research

Sun Genomics (San Diego, CA), creator of the fully personalized precision probiotic Floré, and NZMP (Chicago, IL) announced an expansion of their existing partnership aimed at better understanding the health benefits of probiotics. In addition to their ongoing goal of conducting extensive consumer research, the two companies are launching the second phase of a joint clinical trial known as “Project Happy”.

Starting September 1, 2022, the six-week trial is designed to validate the results of the brands’ first consumer pilot study which tested NZMP’s LactoB HN001 strain with 52 Floré customers to determine if there were any improvements significant to mental well-being and happiness. This study found that after 60 days of consumption with the probiotics, ratings of psychological well-being on the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire increased significantly. The follow-up study will gather additional data on the link between gut health and happiness, this time with a larger cohort of 120 participants.

“We are proud to be working to develop the next generation of probiotics, while discovering new functionalities and health benefits,” said Neal Gidvani, chief operating officer of Sun Genomics, in a press release. “By discovering powerful responses to new probiotic strains, such as increased levels of happiness, we are adding significant value to our current approach. Ultimately, this allows us to grow our consumer offering and help more people than ever before. »

“After analyzing the results of our first pilot study, we knew it would be beneficial to expand our relationship with Sun Genomics and build on this success,” said Chris Ireland, US Probiotics Commercial Director, Active Lifestyle Division. at NZMP. “Since nothing of this magnitude has ever been done before, we look forward to sharing our findings with researchers and consumers alike.”

According to the World Happiness Report 2022, the United States ranks 16th on a list of 146 countries. For more information on consumers’ stress levels, mood and probiotic use, the NZMP surveyed more than 1,000 US adults via CARAVAN and found that of the 37% of respondents who reported having stress and mood issues, 18% said they were currently taking probiotics to help, and 65% said they would consider it.