Testing a Gut Bacteria to Reduce Weight Gain from Antipsychotic Medication

This trial is testing a probiotic capsule containing Bifidobacterium longum APC1472 — a naturally occurring gut bacteria — to see if it can help prevent or reduce the weight gain and metabolic problems that often happen with antipsychotic medications. Researchers have found promising results in both laboratory and early human studies, and now want to test whether this treatment can genuinely help people taking antipsychotics stay healthier and feel better.

Antipsychotic medications are very effective at treating psychosis, but they often cause significant weight gain and raise blood sugar and cholesterol levels — side effects that are distressing enough that many people stop taking their medication. This trial exists because weight gain from these medications is a leading cause of serious health problems and early death in people with psychosis, and there is no proven way to prevent it yet.