Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Decolonization of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (FMT)

May 8, 2026 updated by: Cheung Ka Shing, The University of Hong Kong

Oral Fecal Microbiota Transplant Capsules for Decolonization of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae: a Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial

The emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) has become one of the major threats to the healthcare system in Hong Kong in recent years. The situation is particularly worrisome for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Taking Queen Mary Hospital as an example, the number of CRE cases has surged from 24 in year 2014 to 625 in year 2021. The case burden in Hong Kong is therefore substantial when all 43 public hospitals and institutions in Hong Kong are considered. With the widespread use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and active case screening, the number of CRE cases is expected to further increase in an exponential manner.

Given that colonization with MDROs is due to gut dysbiosis from antibiotic use, a normal intestinal microbiota is apparently crucial in protecting hosts from colonization with MDROs including CRE. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), which involves the infusion of stool from a healthy donor to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of a recipient, has gained popularity in recent years to restore colonic microbial diversity in various diseases associated with gut dysbiosis, e.g. Clostridium difficile (CD) infection, ulcerative colitis and even metabolic diseases. The investigators aim to conduct a double-blind randomized controlled trial to evaluate the benefit of FMT via upper GI delivery (oral capsules) on CRE clearance.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

CRE colonization is associated with a 16.5% risk of infection with a 10% mortality rate. CRE also poses a tremendous strain on the healthcare cost as well as the medical/nursing manpower. The hospital stay is lengthened by two-fold for CRE-infected cases compared with non-infected cases. CRE carriers frequently have to stay in acute hospitals for extended periods of time after settling their acute illnesses, both because of the logistic infeasibility of them being transferred to rehabilitation units or nursing homes, which are devoid of isolation rooms.

Proactive measures have been implemented in hospitals worldwide to prevent the spread of MDROs, especially to vulnerable individuals. Such measures usually include surveillance culture, contact tracing, isolation of carriers and environmental disinfection. Nevertheless, isolation facilities are not always readily available, particularly in resource-limited regions. In addition, contact isolation may result in various adverse effects on the mental well-being of isolated patients, such as depression, anxiety and anger. Time spent with patients in isolation by healthcare workers is less, with a negative effect on patient safety with an eight-fold increase in the risk of adverse events due to supportive care failure.

There has been a growing interest in extending FMT for the decolonization of CRE. However, most of the studies are limited to case reports or case series with small sample sizes (ranging from 10 to 39 patients) as shown by a recent systematic review. The pooled rate of CRE decolonization is promising at 62.1%. However, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) remains the most optimal study design to investigate the true beneficial effect of FMT on CRE decolonization. FMT via oral capsules has several advantages over upper GI delivery or colonoscopy. First, administration of fecal suspension via a feeding tube may not be acceptable to some patients. Second, colonoscopy carries complications of gut perforation, aspiration, and cardiopulmonary suppression from the use of sedatives, in particular among frail and elder patients. When FMT is given via oral capsules, it can even be administered in an outpatient setting, which could substantially reduce cost and waiting time.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

80

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

  • Name: Ka Shing Cheung
  • Phone Number: 22554769
  • Email: cks634@hku.hk

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • All adult patients aged 18 or above admitted to the medical ward of Queen Mary Hospital, the teaching hospital of the University of Hong Kong
  • Rectal swabs or stool specimens showing the presence of CRE
  • Positive CRE specimen within one week of commencement

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy
  • Severe immunodeficiency (e.g. advanced human immunodeficiency virus infection (CD4 lymphocyte count ≤200/mm3), myelosuppressive chemotherapy)
  • Significant neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count ≤1.0 x 109/L)
  • Recent antibiotic use within 30 days prior to consent
  • Contraindications for capsule ingestion (dysphagia or gastrointestinal dysmotility).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Fecal microbiota transplant
This group's subject will receive FMT oral capsules for 2 days (the day of first ingestion as day 0).
Biological: Fecal microbiota transplant
Active comparator will receive oral capsules form of FMT for 2 days (the day of first ingestion as day 0)
Placebo Comparator: Sham fecal microbiota transplant
This group's subject will receive Placebo FMT oral capsules for 2 days (the day of first ingestion as day 0).
Biological: Sham fecal microbiota transplant
Placebo comparator will receive placebo oral capsules FMT for 2 days (the day of first ingestion as day 0)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
CRE clearance rate
Time Frame: 1 month post-FMT
CRE clearance rate via FMT oral capsules
1 month post-FMT

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
CRE clearance rate
Time Frame: 1 week, 2 week, 3 month, 6 month and 12 month post-FMT
CRE clearance rate post-FMT
1 week, 2 week, 3 month, 6 month and 12 month post-FMT
All-cause mortality
Time Frame: 1 month, 3 month, 6 month and 12 month post-FMT
All-cause mortality post-FMT
1 month, 3 month, 6 month and 12 month post-FMT

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

The University of Hong Kong

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Ka Shing Cheung, The University of Hong Kong

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

November 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 31, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 31, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

August 8, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 8, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • UW 19-512

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

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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