VSL#3 vs Visbiome

The De Simone Formulation

In the 1990s, Professor Claudio De Simone invented a highly concentrated, 8-strain probiotic blend (450 billion CFU per packet). For decades, it was sold under the brand name VSL#3 and became the gold-standard medical food for Ulcerative Colitis and Pouchitis.

The Split

In the 2010s, De Simone and the company manufacturing VSL#3 had a falling out. De Simone took his exact original recipe (the proprietary manufacturing process and strain bank) and partnered with a new company, launching it as Visbiome.

The company that owned the trademark "VSL#3" attempted to reverse-engineer the formula using different dairy strains and continued selling it under the VSL#3 name.

The Verdict

A federal jury found that the new VSL#3 was not the same formula and had engaged in false advertising by relying on the clinical trials conducted on De Simone's original formula.

Conclusion: If you want the formula backed by over 60 clinical trials for IBD, you want Visbiome. VSL#3 today is a different product.