LFMT vs Placebo in New Biologic Start for Ulcerative Colitis

A Dual-center, Double Blind, Randomized Placebo-controlled Pilot Trial of Concomitant Lyophilized Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (LFMT) and Biologic Therapy (Vedolizumab or Ustekinumab) for the Induction of Remission in Ulcerative Colitis (UC)

To compare the safety and efficacy of concomitant LFMT versus placebo in UC patients who are starting vedolizumab or ustekinumab.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Ulcerative Colitis
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Placebo; Drug: Lyophilized fecal microbiota (LFMT)

Detailed Description

This is dual-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial for UC patients with active disease who are being initiated on treatment with vedolizumab or ustekinumab.

The study will recruit 40 outpatients at 2 Canadian healthcare centres at the University of Alberta Hospital (University of Alberta), and the University of Manitoba.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Alberta
    • Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2X8
      • Recruiting
      • University of Alberta Hospital
      • Contact: Dina Kao, MD; Phone Number: 780 492 8307; Email: dkao@ualberta.ca

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 18 years of age or older but less than 75 years of age
2. Able to provide informed consent
3. Established ulcerative colitis diagnosis determined by a physician through standard endoscopic and histologic criteria
4. Active UC defined as total Mayo score between 6-12 AND Mayo endoscopic sub-score >1 with disease that extends 15 cm or more from the anal verge

5. Selected by treating physician for initiation of biologic treatment with either vedolizumab or ustekinumab. Patients must be:

   • Biologic naive; OR
   • Have failed anti-TNF, anti-integrin, anti IL12/23 or oral small molecules
6. Use of effective contraception method for women of childbearing potential for at least 4 weeks prior to receiving study treatment and for the duration of the trial
7. Willing and able to comply with all required study procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Severe UC requiring hospitalization
2. Indeterminate colitis
3. Evidence of or treatment for C difficile infection or other intestinal pathogen, including CMV, within 4 weeks prior to enrollment
4. Evidence of toxic megacolon or gastrointestinal perforation on imaging

5. Abdominal surgery within the past 60 days

   • Neutropenia with absolute neutrophil count <0.5 x 109/L
   • Peripheral white blood cell count > 35.0 x 109/L and fever (>38 degrees Celsius)
   • Planned or actively taking another investigational product
   • Uncontrolled medical conditions such as psychiatric disorders or substance abuse
   • Severe underlying disease such that the patient is not expected to survive for at least 30 days
6. Pregnant or lactating
7. Unwilling to discontinue non-dietary probiotic
8. Antibiotic use in the past 30 days or anticipated need for systemic antibiotic use during study
9. FMT within 3 months prior to enrollment

10. Use of the following medications:

    1. rectal/topical therapy within 2 weeks of screening
    2. cyclosporine, tacrolimus or thalidomide within 4 weeks of screening
    3. tofacitinib within 4 weeks of screening
    4. adalimumab or infliximab within 8 weeks of screening
    5. vedolizumab within 8 weeks of screening
    6. ustekinumab within 12 weeks of screening
    7. prednisone > 30 mg/d
11. Investigator deems enrolment in the study is not in the best interest of the patient

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: LFMT capsules + vedolizumab; The initial loading dose is 15 capsules, administered on day 0, in the clinic under direct observation, followed by 5 capsules daily starting on day 1 for 8 weeks at home. All subsequent doses will be dispensed to participants.	Drug: Lyophilized fecal microbiota (LFMT); vedolizumab or ustekinumab + FMT vs placebo
Placebo Comparator: Placebo capsules + vedolizumab; The placebo capsules will appear identical to the LFMT capsules; however, the capsules will contain 2 ingredients: trehalose and neusilin, which are components in LFMT capsules.	Other: Placebo; Placebo
Experimental: LFMT capsules + ustekinumab; The initial loading dose is 15 capsules, administered on day 0, in the clinic under direct observation, followed by 5 capsules daily starting on day 1 for 8 weeks at home. All subsequent doses will be dispensed to participants.	Drug: Lyophilized fecal microbiota (LFMT); vedolizumab or ustekinumab + FMT vs placebo
Placebo Comparator: Placebo capsules + ustekinumab; The placebo capsules will appear identical to the LFMT capsules; however, the capsules will contain 2 ingredients: trehalose and neusilin, which are components in LFMT capsules.	Other: Placebo; Placebo

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Proportion of participants with serious adverse events (SAEs) of interest up to week 8 in each group (ie vedolizumab with or without LFMT, ustekinumab with or without LFMT).	SAE of interest is defined as one of the following: An infection attributable to FMT; Worsening UC, defined as requiring rescue therapy such as increase in steroid dose or change in biologic or colectomy; Hospitalization due to UC or an infection attributable to FMT; Mortality due to UC or an infection attributable to FMT SAE of interest is defined as one of the following: An infection attributable to FMT; Worsening UC, defined as requiring rescue therapy such as increase in steroid dose or change in biologic or colectomy; Hospitalization due to UC or an infection attributable to FMT; Mortality due to UC or an infection attributable to FMT	24 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Proportion of participants in each group with adverse events during the study up to week 24, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, worsening diarrhea, constipation or fevers		24 weeks
Proportion of participants who achieve clinical remission, defined as total Mayo score ≤ 2 with no individual subscore > 1, at week 8 and 24 in each group.		24 weeks
Proportion of participants who achieve clinical response	Defined as a reduction in the Mayo clinic score of ≥ 3 points and/ or ≥ 30% from baseline, with a decrease in the rectal bleeding subscore of ≥ 1 point or a subscore ≤ 1 at week 8 and 24 in each group	24 weeks
Proportion of participants who achieve symptom remission, defined as partial Mayo score < 2 with no individual subscore > 1, at week 8 and 24 in each group		24 weeks
Proportion of participants who achieve symptom response, defined as reduction in partial Mayo score ≥ 2 points from baseline and ≥ 30% from baseline and decrease in rectal bleeding score of ≥ 1point from baseline, at week 8 and 24 in each group		24 weeks
Proportion of participants who achieve endoscopic improvement, defined as Mayo endoscopic subscore ≤1, at week 8 and 24 in each group		24 weeks
Changes in partial Mayo score over time up to week 24 relative to baseline in each group		24 weeks
Changes in quality of life, assessed by short IBD Questionnaire (sIBDQ), and work productivity, assessed by Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAIQ), at week 8 and 24 relative to baseline in each group		24 weeks
Changes in inflammatory markers (serum c-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin) over time up to week 24 in each group		24 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Proportion of participants with Corticosteroid-free remission at week 8 and 24	24 weeks
Time to clinical remission, clinical response, symptom remission and symptom response in each group	24 weeks
Changes in stool microbiome at week 8 and 24 relative to baseline in each group	24 weeks
Changes in stool microbiome at time of remission relative to baseline in each group	24 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Alberta

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 3, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 25, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 7, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): April 14, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 6, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 5, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Microbiome; FMT
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Intestinal Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Gastroenteritis; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Colitis; Colitis, Ulcerative
• Other Study ID Numbers: Pro00117170

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No