Pendulum Therapeutics, the microbiome biotech company known for developing the first probiotic clinically shown to reduce A1C in type 2 diabetes, has expanded its research collaboration with Mayo Clinic to explore microbiome-based interventions in women’s health and dermatology.
The next phase of the collaboration will include clinical studies led by Mayo Clinic investigators evaluating microbiome-based approaches across two women’s health-relevant areas: supporting bone health in patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and investigating the role of the microbiome in improving the menopause transition. Additional research will explore the gut-skin axis.
The studies will use Pendulum’s portfolio of microbiome-targeted products and draw on the company’s capabilities in strain isolation, anaerobic manufacturing, DNA sequencing, and clinical validation.
“Together, we are committed to conducting rigorous clinical research that deepens our understanding of how the gut microbiome influences systemic health – from metabolic function to skin health and women’s health,” said co-founder and CEO Colleen Cutcliffe, PhD.
The collaboration builds on a relationship that began in 2013. The expansion into women’s health reflects growing scientific interest in the microbiome’s role across hormonal transitions – an area where emerging research on the estrobolome (the gut microbiome’s role in estrogen metabolism) is beginning to connect gut health to menopausal symptoms, bone density, and broader metabolic changes. Pendulum was founded in 2012 by scientists from Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Johns Hopkins.
