Persephone Biosciences Celebrates First Birthday of Bloom and Thrive Synbiotics, with More Than 1.5 Million Doses Manufactured

Thousands of U.S. children have taken Bloom and Thrive since their commercial launch one year ago.

Bloom and Thrive were designed to put back key beneficial bacteria found to be missing from the developing infant microbiome.

ARTEMIS clinical trial data published, demonstrating safety and tolerability, sustained Bifidobacterium colonization and biologically meaningful microbiome changes.

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Persephone Biosciences, a pioneering biotech company focused on unlocking the potential of the microbiome to impact human health, today celebrates the one-year anniversary of the commercial launch of its clinically validated Bloom and Thrive daily synbiotics, for babies and toddlers respectively.

Since launch, thousands of children across the United States have taken Bloom and Thrive, and Persephone has manufactured more than 1.5 million doses of the two products. The milestone follows a launch that generated a waitlist of 10,000 families and reflects continued interest in science-driven approaches to supporting the developing gut microbiome.

“September 9 - frequently cited as the most common birthday in the U.S. - is a particularly fitting day to celebrate the first birthday of Bloom and Thrive,” said Stephanie Culler, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Persephone Biosciences. “What began with families raising their hands to participate in My Baby Biome, the largest and most comprehensive U.S. study to map the infant gut microbiome, led us to identify what was missing and design products specifically to put those beneficial bacteria back. One year after launch, thousands of children have now taken Bloom and Thrive, and we have manufactured more than 1.5 million doses.”

“Reaching this milestone is important, but we believe we are still at the beginning of our journey. Our goal is to make evidence-based microbiome products accessible to families everywhere. The next stage of that mission includes expanding Bloom and Thrive into major retail channels and conducting clinical research in additional pediatric populations.”

Persephone launched the My Baby Biome study in 2022. The study, the largest and most comprehensive study conducted in the U.S. to map the infant gut microbiome, found a widespread deficiency of beneficial gut bacteria among U.S. infants: nine out of ten babies were missing one or more key strains of Bifidobacterium; 76% of U.S. infant guts had deficient levels of Bifidobacterium, which by age two was associated with a three- to four-times increased risk of developing allergies, eczema/dermatitis or asthma (atopic disease conditions); and approximately one in four had no detectable Bifidobacterium at all.

The findings pointed to a problem affecting the vast majority of U.S. infants and provided the scientific foundation for Bloom (infants 0–12 months) and Thrive (toddlers 12–36 months+), which were designed around the biology and nutritional needs of the developing microbiome.

Bloom and Thrive were subsequently evaluated in ARTEMIS, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolling 114 infants and toddlers. Results from the study were published in Pediatric Research, a Nature Portfolio journal, in August 2026. The study provided clinical evidence supporting the synbiotic’s safety, tolerability, colonization and biological activity.

ARTEMIS’ findings included:

• Safe and well tolerated. The synbiotic demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile, with no statistically significant differences in adverse events or gastrointestinal symptoms compared with placebo.

• Successfully colonized the infant and toddler gut. After four weeks of supplementation, at least one administered Bifidobacterium strain was detected in 72% of infants and 67% of toddlers and persisted through the two-week washout period, supporting intestinal colonization beyond active supplementation, unlike transient probiotics such as Lactobacillus.

• Demonstrated the intended biological activity. Supplementation significantly increased Bifidobacterium infantis abundance and genes involved in human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) metabolism, consistent with the synbiotic's intended mechanism of action.

• Reshaped the developing gut microbiome. Colonization of the administered strains was associated with measurable changes in microbial composition and metabolic pathways, providing further insight into how targeted synbiotics influence the developing infant microbiome.

• Observed improvements in toddler sleep. Toddlers receiving the synbiotic experienced a statistically significant improvement in sleep quality compared with placebo, a finding that warrants additional study.

Bloom and Thrive - Product attributes

• Designed to thrive, not just survive. Bloom and Thrive pair four Bifidobacterium strains with a precise prebiotic blend of four human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), together with Vitamin D, in a synergistic formulation designed to support colonization.

• Uncompromising quality and safety. Every batch is tested by Eurofins for heavy metals, allergens and contaminants, and the products are independently certified under the Clean Label Project's Purity Award.

• Daily, seamless use. The flavorless fine powder is designed to mix easily into liquid or soft food.

Persephone is now preparing for its next stage of commercial expansion, including plans to bring Bloom and Thrive into major big-box retail stores, significantly increasing physical retail availability and consumer reach, while continuing additional clinical trials in new pediatric populations.

About Persephone Biosciences

Persephone is a pioneering biotech company reimagining infant and patient health using rigorous clinical research to unlock the potential of the gut microbiome to prevent and treat disease. Persephone is backed by notable investors including Y Combinator, Fifty Years, Susa Ventures, American Cancer Society’s BrightEdge Fund, Pioneer Fund, First Bight Ventures, Propel Bio Partners, Ocampo Capital, Mesa Verde Partners and Capita3. Our My Baby Biome study uncovered widespread gaps in modern infant gut health. Learn more at www.persephone.bio.

Investor Contact
Laurence Watts
laurence@newstreetir.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2c433302-9401-4f4d-8c0b-868f912599a2