Pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila Muc T for weight loss maintenance in people with overweight and obesity: a controlled randomized trial

Preclinical research suggests that the mucosal symbiont Akkermansia muciniphila prevents diet-induced obesity. In this randomized controlled trial, adults with overweight/obesity ( n = 90) underwent an 8-week low-energy diet for ≥8% weight loss, followed by a 24-week healthy ad libitum diet with daily supplementation of pasteurized A.

muciniphila Muc T or placebo. The primary outcome was change in body weight during the maintenance period.

Here we show that Muc T led to lower body weight regain versus placebo at the end of the weight maintenance period (Muc T : 1.2 ± 0.7 kg, placebo: 3.2 ± 0.4 kg, P = 0.012). Additionally, the Muc T group had a greater net weight loss from baseline to end of maintenance than the placebo group (3.1 ± 0.7 kg, P = 0.009).

Initial Akkermansia spp. abundance was associated with cardiometabolic response to Muc T .

No serious adverse events related to the treatment were observed. The relative short-term intervention and absence of groups receiving modified strains of Muc T lacking active components are limitations that should be addressed in the future.