Preliminary Investigation of β-hydroxybutyrate Supplementation in Colorectal Cancer Prevention (BHB-CRC)

Preliminary Investigation of β-hydroxybutyrate Supplementation in Colorectal Cancer

The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) supplementation in individuals who are undergoing a standard-of-care colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Colorectal Cancer
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: R-1,3-Butanediol

Detailed Description

The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) supplementation in individuals who are undergoing a standard-of-care colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy in order to determine whether BHB supplementation is safe and tolerable. Additionally, this study will determine whether BHB supplementations increases serum BHB levels, and leads to transcription and protein expression changes in the colonic mucosa. BHB supplementation will be performed through oral administration of HVMN Ketone-IQ, a commercially available BHB supplement, with an active ingredient of R-1,3-Butanediol, which gets converted to BHB.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
      • Abramson Cancer Center of The University of Pennsylvania

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age of 18 years or older
• Scheduled for a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy as part of the patient's standard care
• Can provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subject is pregnant, a prisoner, or is under 18 years of age
• Patient is not able to undergo colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy
• Prior total proctocolectomy
• History of inflammatory bowel disease
• History of diabetes mellitus and are currently on medical diabetes therapy
• History of chronic kidney disease with an eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2
• Cancer diagnosis where the subject is receiving active therapy
• Use of either a ketogenic diet or intermittent fasting (defined as a fasting period of 16 hours or more per day that is not associated with a medical procedure) during the 4 weeks prior to enrollment

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: BHB supplementation; Study participants will be taking 35mL of HVMN Ketone-IQ by mouth three times daily, with each dose containing 10 grams of R-1,3-Butanediol, for a total of 4 weeks.	Dietary supplement: R-1,3-Butanediol; Study participants will be taking 35mL of HVMN Ketone-IQ by mouth three times daily, with each dose containing 10 grams of R-1,3-Butanediol.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Determine whether oral BHB supplementation is safe and tolerable	Assessment of patient tolerance of BHB supplements through weekly monitoring of side effects and/or intolerances and patient compliance. We will monitor the percentage of individuals who continue through Visit 2, and the percentage continuing through Visit 3, as well as the compliance with taking the BHB supplement.	Through study completion, which will be approximately 2 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Determine whether oral BHB supplementations increases serum BHB levels	Assessment of fasting serum BHB levels before, during, and after BHB supplementation to determine if BHB supplementation appreciably increases serum BHB levels.	Through study completion, which will be approximately 2 years
Investigate whether oral BHB supplementation leads to transcription and protein expression changes in the colonic mucosa	Comparison of both transcription and protein changes in the colonic mucosa from mucosal biopsies before and after BHB supplementation to determine if BHB supplementation is having measurable effects on the colonic mucosa.	Through study completion, which will be approximately 2 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Bryson W Katona, MD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 13, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 14, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 14, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): April 21, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 17, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 15, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Intestinal Diseases; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Digestive System Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Intestinal Neoplasms; Rectal Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Colorectal Neoplasms
• Other Study ID Numbers: UPCC 01222 (University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center); IRB 850567 (Other Identifier: University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center)

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
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No