Crohn DiseasePhase 1PediCRaFTNCT03378167

PediCRaFT: Pediatric Crohn's Disease Fecal Transplant Trial

A Phase 1 study testing MICROBIOTA in people with Crohn Disease and Pediatric Crohns Disease, run by McMaster Children's Hospital at 2 sites in Canada.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record

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Trial summary

Who is it for?: Ages 3 to 17 years
Conditions the study is for: Crohn Disease, Pediatric Crohns Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
What is being tested?: MICROBIOTA
Type of treatment: Pill or oral medicine, Injection or infusion
Could I receive a placebo?: Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people: 17 participants
Where: 2 sitesCanada
Study dates: 1 Dec 2018to 30 Sep 2023
Phase: Phase 1
Are there results?: None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

Ages 3 to 17 years
All sexes
No healthy volunteers
Child

Who may be able to join

Pediatric patients
≥3yo
Crohn's disease, or IBD-Unclassified favoring Crohn's disease (as deemed by the patient's primary pediatric gastroenterologist)
Active symptoms

Who cannot join

Currently enrolled in another clinical trial
Unable to give informed consent or assent
Severe comorbid medical illness (at discretion of patient's primary pediatric gastroenterologist)
Concomitant Clostridium difficile infection
Severe Crohn's disease flare requiring hospitalization
Commenced new, or temporary medical therapies (ie. corticosteroids, antibiotics, prebiotics) within 4 weeks prior to commencing the trial; NB: Weaning doses of corticosteroid will be permitted (≤ 0.25mg/kg/day)

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

Canada2 sites

McMaster Children's Hospital
Hamilton, Ontario, M8V1A4
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal
Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1C5

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: PediCRaFT: Pediatric Crohn's Disease Fecal Microbiota Transplant Pilot Study

The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of a novel colonic and oral fecal microbiota transplantation protocol for the treatment of active pediatric Crohn's disease (CD). Specifically, we will test the hypothesis that a protocol of combination fecal microbiota colonoscopic infusion and oral microbiota capsules (OMC), using live fecal material from anonymous unrelated donors, can improve the disease activity of pediatric CD patients.

Read the detailed description

Several recent studies have assessed the role of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a chronic autoimmune gastrointestinal disorder that has been associated with disease-specific microbial signatures in the host. The vast majority of literature on the therapeutic role of FMT has assessed its role in the treatment of acute Clostridium difficile colitis, but its effectiveness at treating this disease condition suggests a central role of the microbiome in host immune tolerance.

Alterations in the IBD Microbiome Investigators have characterized specific alterations of the gut microbiota in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, compared to healthy controls. Patients with active IBD may have a relative depletion in anaerobic microbes, such as Bacteroides vulgatus, Lachnospiraceae (p: Firmicutes), and an increase in Proteobacteria and Bacillus (p: Firmicutes). These microbial signatures of IBD have led to several hypotheses about the protective, and pathological roles of different resident intestinal bacterial species. Conte et al have suggested that B. vulgatus may have a protective role against colitis, downregulating inflammation. Other studies have suggested that dysbiosis in IBD leads to decreased production of key short-chain fatty acids, such as butyric acid metabolized by Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Directly, butyric acid and other short-chain fatty acids are key substrates absorbed by colonocytes, and indirectly, butyrate may inhibit inflammatory processes in the intestinal mucosa by suppressing cytokines, like interleukin-8. These studies have attempted to define canonical "intestinal-microbial-immune axes," supporting the hypothesis that IBD may occur secondary to an altered microbiome in a genetically, immunologically susceptible host. This constant host-microbial cross-talk may thus be altered by the introduction of key bacterial species that are otherwise absent, or decreased as a consequence of active mucosal inflammation, in the IBD gut. While FMT would not provide targeted, species-specific inoculations, whole stool transplant would theoretically introduce a broad range of bacteria, including those that are theoretically "favorable" to the host.
The Pediatric Microbiome Pediatric IBD, and the pediatric microbiome, have several unique features that suggest microbial-based therapies could be particularly effective. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis typically have a much more aggressive course in the pediatric age group, suggesting that the pediatric IBD phenotype may have a pathophysiology that is distinct from adult-onset IBD. In pediatric IBD, the early age of onset makes the cumulative burden of medications, nutritional impairment, and surgery greater. Several standard IBD medication therapies have unique, age-specific toxicities in children. The overlap of pediatric chronic disease with critical periods of growth, bone accretion, and psychosocial development can make disease exacerbations disproportionately affect a child's long-term outcome. The pediatric microbiome itself has key differences. The shorter latency of disease may offer a unique window to reverse an underlying state of "dysbiosis." The pediatric microbiome may be more malleable than a fully defined adult microbiome, and the relatively immature immune system of children may be more influenced by FMT.
FMT for the Treatment of Pediatric IBD Four case series have been published for the treatment of pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) and CD using FMT. Protocols varied between all studies, and three main routes of administration were used: serial enemas, serial enemas with supplementary colonoscopic administration, and nasogastric tube. The first published study, involved five enemas administered daily to 9 UC patients, ages 7-21. Outcomes included clinical improvement from baseline using Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI) scores, at one-week, and one-month post-treatment. 6/9 patients maintained clinical response at their one-month follow-up assessment. In 2015, two case series of FMT for CD and UC patients were published. A single FMT infusion was administered via nasogastric tube (NGT) to 4 UC, and 9 CD patients. No clinical response was seen in UC through NGT administration. In contrast, remission was induced in 7/9 CD patients within 2-weeks post-treatment, with 5/9 maintaining remission at week 6 and week 12. The most recent pediatric case series from 2015 included a cohort of pediatric UC patients treated with oral 5-ASA monotherapy, who received a combination of serial FMT enemas and colonoscopic infusions. 3 patients were included; 100% went into clinical remission at week 2, sustained clinical remission at week 4, and had complete withdrawal of immunotherapy at time of publication. Within the limitations of this small case series, there was a correlation between the number of FMT administrations, and the duration of remission.

Two single-center pediatric case reports have recently been published showing marked clinical improvement in two patients with severe colitis. A 2015 case report describes a 4-month old female presenting with an early-onset colitis with UC-like phenotype. The patient was refractory to treatment with azathioprine and corticosteroids, and did not respond to further treatment with probiotics, a trial of amino-acid based formula, or infliximab. 2 serial FMT infusions with anonymous donor stool were administered via colonoscope, and a subsequent 5 infusions via nasoduodenal tube. These interventions led to clinical improvement, and complete resolution of histopathologic changes 6-months post FMT. A recent, 2016 case report describes an 11-year old female with corticosteroid-dependent UC who was unresponsive to treatment with 5-aminosalicylic acid and tacrolimus14. An initial FMT using her father's donor stool was performed via colonoscopy, and subsequent daily FMTs via fecal retention enema over the next 4 days, followed by 11 additional FMTs via retention enema every 2 to 4 weeks over 10 months. The patient remained in clinical remission at 40 weeks post final FMT, and showed complete endoscopic healing.

Clinical Observations from Published Pediatric IBD FMT Studies Despite promising results, major drawbacks to these four pediatric studies include small sample sizes and their open label study design. Studies of clinical response demand a blinded study protocol, particularly given that many patients who enrol in FMT studies are a self-selected group, who already believe in the therapeutic value of "natural" treatments. Further, inflammatory bowel disease has well-described associations between clinical symptoms, mucosal disease activity and underlying stressors; thus, patient bias may have a significant influence on self-reported PUCAI/PCDAI (Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index) scores when measuring clinical response. In addition, it is also important to note that success of FMT for IBD reflected in the aforementioned studies may reflect a propensity for studies with positive results to be published and unreported, unsuccessful studies may exist.

Conditions: Crohn Disease, Pediatric Crohns Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Colitis
Being tested: MICROBIOTA, PLACEBO
Keywords: Paediatrics, Pediatrics, Crohn's, Crohn, Microbiome, Microbiota, FMT, Fecal Transplant, Fecal Microbiota Transplant, IBD-U, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unclassified, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Indeterminate, IBD, Colitis
Medical subject headings: Crohn Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Colitis

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

MICROBIOTABiological
Also called RBX2660, RBX7455, Fecal microbiota transplant
Fecal microbiota enema (RBX2660) infused via colonoscope x 1 + oral microbiota capsules (RBX7455) x 6 weeks. The fecal microbiota enema (RBX2660) prepared by Rebiotix has received Health Canada Clinical Trials Application (CTA), and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Investigational New Drug Application (IND) approval for clinical trials in patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, and pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. The human-derived fecal oral microbiota capsule (RBX7455) has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration Investigational New Drug Application (IND) approval for clinical trials in patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection.
PLACEBOBiological
Placebo enema (Normal Saline) infused via colonoscope x 1 + oral placebo capsules (dextrose-containing capsules) x 6 weeks.
NOTE: Patients randomized to the control group will be given the option of receiving open-label treatment, with the intervention therapy, either: upon completion of the trial, or if they are removed from the trial due to disease exacerbation or other adverse event, at the discretion of their primary gastroenterologist.

Study groups in NCT03378167
Study group	Role	What they receive
MICROBIOTA	Experimental	Patients randomized to the INTERVENTION arm will receive a baseline fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) colonoscopic infusion at Week 0, followed by twice-weekly oral microbiota capsule (OMC) therapy for 6 weeks (including Week 0). (n = 30) Receives: Biological: MICROBIOTA
PLACEBO	Placebo comparator	Patients randomized to the CONTROL arm will receive a baseline normal saline (NS) colonoscopic infusion at Week 0, followed by twice-weekly dextrose-containing oral placebo capsule (OPC) therapy for 6 weeks (including Week 0). (n = 15) Receives: Biological: PLACEBO

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

Monthly Recruitment Rate
Assessment of recruitment rate (based on patients meeting all eligibility criteria who were approached for trial entry)
Measured: 30 weeks
Dropout Rate Post Enrolment
Rate of patients leaving the trial (patient, or protocol directed exclusion) after enrolment
Measured: 30 weeks
Rate of Patient Protocol Adherence
Rate of patients providing all required blood, stool and urine samples per protocol
Measured: 30 weeks
Rate of Adverse Events
Rate of patients requiring hospitalization, or experiencing PCDAI increase ≥20 x 2 successive measures
Measured: 30 weeks

Secondary outcomes (6)

Clinical: Improvement in Disease Symptoms
PCDAI decrease ≥15 from baseline: Week 6, Week 30
Measured: Baseline, Week 6, Week 30
Clinical: Remission in Disease Symptoms
PCDAI ≤ 10: Week 6, Week 30
Measured: Week 6, Week 30
Clinical: Improvement in Serum Inflammatory Markers
Decrease C-reactive protein from baseline: Week 6, Week 30
Measured: Baseline, Week 6, Week 30
Clinical: Improvement in Mucosal Inflammatory Markers
Decrease fecal calprotectin from baseline: Week 6, Week 30
Measured: Baseline, Week 6, Week 30
Clinical: Change in Urine Metabolomics
Change in urine metabolite profile from baseline: Week 6, Week 30
Measured: Baseline, Week 6, Week 30
Clinical: Change in Fecal Microbiome
Change in fecal 16s rRNA + metagenomics profile baseline: Week 6, Week 30
Measured: Baseline, Week 6, Week 30

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

1 Dec 201830 Sep 2023

First posted19 Dec 2017
Study start1 Dec 2018
Primary completion30 Sep 2023
Study completion30 Sep 2023

Resources

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
Publications (24)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
Other trials for Crohn DiseaseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design

Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 1
Primary purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Crossover
Model description: Patients will be randomized 2:1 to one of two groups upon consent: intervention or control. 30 patients will be randomized to receive an FMT via colonoscopy + oral microbiota capsular (OMC) therapy (INTERVENTION), and 15 patients will be randomized to receive normal saline (NS) via colonoscopy + dextrose-containing oral capsules (oral placebo capsule, OPC) (CONTROL). Randomization will occur through a computer-generated block-randomization pattern (block size = 6 participants). Patients randomized to the control group will be given the option of receiving open-label treatment, with the intervention therapy, either: upon completion of the trial, or if they are removed from the trial due to disease exacerbation or other adverse event, at the discretion of their primary gastroenterologist.
Masking: Triple blind
Who is masked: Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment: 17 participants (actual)

IDs, dates and publications

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03378167
Sponsor's protocol ID: 0000
Acronym: PediCRaFT
Status last verified: Oct 2023
First submitted: 12 Dec 2017
Last updated: 19 Oct 2023
Results posted: No
Data monitoring committee: Yes
FDA-regulated drug: No
FDA-regulated device: No
Individual data sharing: Undecided

Publications

Haberman Y, Tickle TL, Dexheimer PJ, Kim MO, Tang D, Karns R, Baldassano RN, Noe JD, Rosh J, Markowitz J, Heyman MB, Griffiths AM, Crandall WV, Mack DR, Baker SS, Huttenhower C, Keljo DJ, Hyams JS, Kugathasan S, Walters TD, Aronow B, Xavier RJ, Gevers D, Denson LA. Pediatric Crohn disease patients exhibit specific ileal transcriptome and microbiome signature. J Clin Invest. 2014 Aug;124(8):3617-33. doi: 10.1172/JCI75436. Epub 2014 Jul 8.
PubMed 25003194
Gevers D, Kugathasan S, Denson LA, Vazquez-Baeza Y, Van Treuren W, Ren B, Schwager E, Knights D, Song SJ, Yassour M, Morgan XC, Kostic AD, Luo C, Gonzalez A, McDonald D, Haberman Y, Walters T, Baker S, Rosh J, Stephens M, Heyman M, Markowitz J, Baldassano R, Griffiths A, Sylvester F, Mack D, Kim S, Crandall W, Hyams J, Huttenhower C, Knight R, Xavier RJ. The treatment-naive microbiome in new-onset Crohn's disease. Cell Host Microbe. 2014 Mar 12;15(3):382-392. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2014.02.005.
PubMed 24629344
Maslowski KM, Vieira AT, Ng A, Kranich J, Sierro F, Yu D, Schilter HC, Rolph MS, Mackay F, Artis D, Xavier RJ, Teixeira MM, Mackay CR. Regulation of inflammatory responses by gut microbiota and chemoattractant receptor GPR43. Nature. 2009 Oct 29;461(7268):1282-6. doi: 10.1038/nature08530.
PubMed 19865172
Conte MP, Schippa S, Zamboni I, Penta M, Chiarini F, Seganti L, Osborn J, Falconieri P, Borrelli O, Cucchiara S. Gut-associated bacterial microbiota in paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Gut. 2006 Dec;55(12):1760-7. doi: 10.1136/gut.2005.078824. Epub 2006 Apr 28.
PubMed 16648155
Tedelind S, Westberg F, Kjerrulf M, Vidal A. Anti-inflammatory properties of the short-chain fatty acids acetate and propionate: a study with relevance to inflammatory bowel disease. World J Gastroenterol. 2007 May 28;13(20):2826-32. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i20.2826.
PubMed 17569118
Machiels K, Joossens M, Sabino J, De Preter V, Arijs I, Eeckhaut V, Ballet V, Claes K, Van Immerseel F, Verbeke K, Ferrante M, Verhaegen J, Rutgeerts P, Vermeire S. A decrease of the butyrate-producing species Roseburia hominis and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii defines dysbiosis in patients with ulcerative colitis. Gut. 2014 Aug;63(8):1275-83. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2013-304833. Epub 2013 Sep 10.
PubMed 24021287
Sekirov I, Russell SL, Antunes LC, Finlay BB. Gut microbiota in health and disease. Physiol Rev. 2010 Jul;90(3):859-904. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00045.2009.
PubMed 20664075
Putignani L, Del Chierico F, Petrucca A, Vernocchi P, Dallapiccola B. The human gut microbiota: a dynamic interplay with the host from birth to senescence settled during childhood. Pediatr Res. 2014 Jul;76(1):2-10. doi: 10.1038/pr.2014.49. Epub 2014 Apr 14.
PubMed 24732106
Kunde S, Pham A, Bonczyk S, Crumb T, Duba M, Conrad H Jr, Cloney D, Kugathasan S. Safety, tolerability, and clinical response after fecal transplantation in children and young adults with ulcerative colitis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2013 Jun;56(6):597-601. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0b013e318292fa0d.
PubMed 23542823
Kellermayer R, Nagy-Szakal D, Harris RA, Luna RA, Pitashny M, Schady D, Mir SA, Lopez ME, Gilger MA, Belmont J, Hollister EB, Versalovic J. Serial fecal microbiota transplantation alters mucosal gene expression in pediatric ulcerative colitis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2015 Apr;110(4):604-6. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2015.19. No abstract available.
PubMed 25853207
Suskind DL, Brittnacher MJ, Wahbeh G, Shaffer ML, Hayden HS, Qin X, Singh N, Damman CJ, Hager KR, Nielson H, Miller SI. Fecal microbial transplant effect on clinical outcomes and fecal microbiome in active Crohn's disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2015 Mar;21(3):556-63. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0000000000000307.
PubMed 25647155
Vandenplas Y, Veereman G, van der Werff Ten Bosch J, Goossens A, Pierard D, Samsom JN, Escher JC. Fecal Microbial Transplantation in Early-Onset Colitis: Caution Advised. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2015 Sep;61(3):e12-4. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000000281. No abstract available.
PubMed 24399213
Suskind DL, Singh N, Nielson H, Wahbeh G. Fecal microbial transplant via nasogastric tube for active pediatric ulcerative colitis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2015 Jan;60(1):27-9. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000000544.
PubMed 25162366
Shimizu H, Arai K, Abe J, Nakabayashi K, Yoshioka T, Hosoi K, Kuroda M. Repeated fecal microbiota transplantation in a child with ulcerative colitis. Pediatr Int. 2016 Aug;58(8):781-5. doi: 10.1111/ped.12967. Epub 2016 Jun 21.
PubMed 27324973
Turner D, Otley AR, Mack D, Hyams J, de Bruijne J, Uusoue K, Walters TD, Zachos M, Mamula P, Beaton DE, Steinhart AH, Griffiths AM. Development, validation, and evaluation of a pediatric ulcerative colitis activity index: a prospective multicenter study. Gastroenterology. 2007 Aug;133(2):423-32. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2007.05.029. Epub 2007 May 21.
PubMed 17681163

Want to know more?

The sponsor has not listed a contact. The official record may have more details.

Talk to your doctor first and take this page with you. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

Questions to ask the study team

What is the study trying to find out?
What would I need to do, and how often would I visit?
Could I receive a placebo instead of the treatment?
What are the possible risks and benefits for me?
Will it cost me anything? Are travel or time paid for?
Can I keep seeing my own doctor during the study?
What happens when the study ends?

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Study at a glance

From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 19 Oct 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.

Official title: PediCRaFT: Pediatric Crohn's Disease Fecal Microbiota Transplant Pilot Study
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03378167
Acronym / sponsor ID: PediCRaFT / 0000
Conditions: Crohn Disease, Pediatric Crohns Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Colitis
Keywords: Paediatrics, Pediatrics, Crohn's, Crohn, Microbiome, Microbiota, FMT, Fecal Transplant
Phase: Phase 1
Study type: Interventional
Recruitment status: Completed
Enrolment: 17 participants (actual)
Lead sponsor: McMaster Children's HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
Collaborators: St. Justine's Hospital
Study start: 1 Dec 2018 (actual)
Primary completion: 30 Sep 2023 (actual)
Study completion: 30 Sep 2023 (actual)
First posted: 19 Dec 2017 (actual)
Results: Not posted in the source record

Clinical summary

The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.

Detailed description

Alterations in the IBD Microbiome Investigators have characterized specific alterations of the gut microbiota in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, compared to healthy controls. Patients with active IBD may have a relative depletion in anaerobic microbes, such as Bacteroides vulgatus, Lachnospiraceae (p: Firmicutes), and an increase in Proteobacteria and Bacillus (p: Firmicutes). These microbial signatures of IBD have led to several hypotheses about the protective, and pathological roles of different resident intestinal bacterial species. Conte et al have suggested that B. vulgatus may have a protective role against colitis, downregulating inflammation. Other studies have suggested that dysbiosis in IBD leads to decreased production of key short-chain fatty acids, such as butyric acid metabolized by Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Directly, butyric acid and other short-chain fatty acids are key substrates absorbed by colonocytes, and indirectly, butyrate may inhibit inflammatory processes in the intestinal mucosa by suppressing cytokines, like interleukin-8. These studies have attempted to define canonical "intestinal-microbial-immune axes," supporting the hypothesis that IBD may occur secondary to an altered microbiome in a genetically, immunologically susceptible host. This constant host-microbial cross-talk may thus be altered by the introduction of key bacterial species that are otherwise absent, or decreased as a consequence of active mucosal inflammation, in the IBD gut. While FMT would not provide targeted, species-specific inoculations, whole stool transplant would theoretically introduce a broad range of bacteria, including those that are theoretically "favorable" to the host.
The Pediatric Microbiome Pediatric IBD, and the pediatric microbiome, have several unique features that suggest microbial-based therapies could be particularly effective. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis typically have a much more aggressive course in the pediatric age group, suggesting that the pediatric IBD phenotype may have a pathophysiology that is distinct from adult-onset IBD. In pediatric IBD, the early age of onset makes the cumulative burden of medications, nutritional impairment, and surgery greater. Several standard IBD medication therapies have unique, age-specific toxicities in children. The overlap of pediatric chronic disease with critical periods of growth, bone accretion, and psychosocial development can make disease exacerbations disproportionately affect a child's long-term outcome. The pediatric microbiome itself has key differences. The shorter latency of disease may offer a unique window to reverse an underlying state of "dysbiosis." The pediatric microbiome may be more malleable than a fully defined adult microbiome, and the relatively immature immune system of children may be more influenced by FMT.
FMT for the Treatment of Pediatric IBD Four case series have been published for the treatment of pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) and CD using FMT. Protocols varied between all studies, and three main routes of administration were used: serial enemas, serial enemas with supplementary colonoscopic administration, and nasogastric tube. The first published study, involved five enemas administered daily to 9 UC patients, ages 7-21. Outcomes included clinical improvement from baseline using Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI) scores, at one-week, and one-month post-treatment. 6/9 patients maintained clinical response at their one-month follow-up assessment. In 2015, two case series of FMT for CD and UC patients were published. A single FMT infusion was administered via nasogastric tube (NGT) to 4 UC, and 9 CD patients. No clinical response was seen in UC through NGT administration. In contrast, remission was induced in 7/9 CD patients within 2-weeks post-treatment, with 5/9 maintaining remission at week 6 and week 12. The most recent pediatric case series from 2015 included a cohort of pediatric UC patients treated with oral 5-ASA monotherapy, who received a combination of serial FMT enemas and colonoscopic infusions. 3 patients were included; 100% went into clinical remission at week 2, sustained clinical remission at week 4, and had complete withdrawal of immunotherapy at time of publication. Within the limitations of this small case series, there was a correlation between the number of FMT administrations, and the duration of remission.

Clinical Observations from Published Pediatric IBD FMT Studies Despite promising results, major drawbacks to these four pediatric studies include small sample sizes and their open label study design. Studies of clinical response demand a blinded study protocol, particularly given that many patients who enrol in FMT studies are a self-selected group, who already believe in the therapeutic value of "natural" treatments. Further, inflammatory bowel disease has well-described associations between clinical symptoms, mucosal disease activity and underlying stressors; thus, patient bias may have a significant influence on self-reported PUCAI/PCDAI (Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index) scores when measuring clinical response. In addition, it is also important to note that success of FMT for IBD reflected in the aforementioned studies may reflect a propensity for studies with positive results to be published and unreported, unsuccessful studies may exist.

Study design

Primary purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Crossover
Masking: Triple blind (participant, care provider, outcomes assessor)
Number of arms: 2
Model description: Patients will be randomized 2:1 to one of two groups upon consent: intervention or control. 30 patients will be randomized to receive an FMT via colonoscopy + oral microbiota capsular (OMC) therapy (INTERVENTION), and 15 patients will be randomized to receive normal saline (NS) via colonoscopy + dextrose-containing oral capsules (oral placebo capsule, OPC) (CONTROL). Randomization will occur through a computer-generated block-randomization pattern (block size = 6 participants). Patients randomized to the control group will be given the option of receiving open-label treatment, with the intervention therapy, either: upon completion of the trial, or if they are removed from the trial due to disease exacerbation or other adverse event, at the discretion of their primary gastroenterologist.

Arm	Type	Receives
MICROBIOTA	Experimental	Biological: MICROBIOTAPatients randomized to the INTERVENTION arm will receive a baseline fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) colonoscopic infusion at Week 0, followed by twice-weekly oral microbiota capsule (OMC) therapy for 6 weeks (including Week 0). (n = 30)
PLACEBO	Placebo comparator	Biological: PLACEBOPatients randomized to the CONTROL arm will receive a baseline normal saline (NS) colonoscopic infusion at Week 0, followed by twice-weekly dextrose-containing oral placebo capsule (OPC) therapy for 6 weeks (including Week 0). (n = 15)

Who may qualify

Ages: 3 to 17 years
Sex: All
Healthy volunteers: Not accepted
Age groups: Child

Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)

Pediatric patients
≥3yo
Crohn's disease, or IBD-Unclassified favoring Crohn's disease (as deemed by the patient's primary pediatric gastroenterologist)
Active symptoms

Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)

Currently enrolled in another clinical trial
Unable to give informed consent or assent
Severe comorbid medical illness (at discretion of patient's primary pediatric gastroenterologist)
Concomitant Clostridium difficile infection
Severe Crohn's disease flare requiring hospitalization

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Interventions

Intervention	Type	Arms
MICROBIOTAAlso: RBX2660, RBX7455, Fecal microbiota transplantFecal microbiota enema (RBX2660) infused via colonoscope x 1 + oral microbiota capsules (RBX7455) x 6 weeks. The fecal microbiota enema (RBX2660) prepared by Rebiotix has received Health Canada Clinical Trials Application (CTA), and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Investigational New Drug Application (IND) approval for clinical trials in patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, and pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. The human-derived fecal oral microbiota capsule (RBX7455) has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration Investigational New Drug Application (IND) approval for clinical trials in patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection.	Biological	MICROBIOTA
PLACEBOPlacebo enema (Normal Saline) infused via colonoscope x 1 + oral placebo capsules (dextrose-containing capsules) x 6 weeks. NOTE: Patients randomized to the control group will be given the option of receiving open-label treatment, with the intervention therapy, either: upon completion of the trial, or if they are removed from the trial due to disease exacerbation or other adverse event, at the discretion of their primary gastroenterologist.	Biological	PLACEBO

Primary outcome

Monthly Recruitment Rate
Time frame: 30 weeks
Assessment of recruitment rate (based on patients meeting all eligibility criteria who were approached for trial entry)
Dropout Rate Post Enrolment
Time frame: 30 weeks
Rate of patients leaving the trial (patient, or protocol directed exclusion) after enrolment
Rate of Patient Protocol Adherence
Time frame: 30 weeks
Rate of patients providing all required blood, stool and urine samples per protocol
Rate of Adverse Events
Time frame: 30 weeks
Rate of patients requiring hospitalization, or experiencing PCDAI increase ≥20 x 2 successive measures

6 secondary outcomes

Clinical: Improvement in Disease Symptoms
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 30
Clinical: Remission in Disease Symptoms
Time frame: Week 6, Week 30
Clinical: Improvement in Serum Inflammatory Markers
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 30
Clinical: Improvement in Mucosal Inflammatory Markers
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 30
Clinical: Change in Urine Metabolomics
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 30
Clinical: Change in Fecal Microbiome
Time frame: Baseline, Week 6, Week 30

Results and safety

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

Research links

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 19 Oct 2023.
Background: PubMed 25003194Haberman Y, Tickle TL, Dexheimer PJ, Kim MO, Tang D, Karns R, Baldassano RN, Noe JD, Rosh J, Markowitz J, Heyman MB, Griffiths AM, Crandall WV, Mack DR, Baker SS, Huttenhower C, Keljo DJ, Hyams JS, Kugathasan S, Walters TD, Aronow B, Xavier RJ, Gevers D, Denson LA. Pediatric Crohn disease patients exhibit specific ileal transcriptome and microbiome signature. J Clin Invest. 2014 Aug;124(8):3617-33. doi: 10.1172/JCI75436. Epub 2014 Jul 8.
Background: PubMed 24629344Gevers D, Kugathasan S, Denson LA, Vazquez-Baeza Y, Van Treuren W, Ren B, Schwager E, Knights D, Song SJ, Yassour M, Morgan XC, Kostic AD, Luo C, Gonzalez A, McDonald D, Haberman Y, Walters T, Baker S, Rosh J, Stephens M, Heyman M, Markowitz J, Baldassano R, Griffiths A, Sylvester F, Mack D, Kim S, Crandall W, Hyams J, Huttenhower C, Knight R, Xavier RJ. The treatment-naive microbiome in new-onset Crohn's disease. Cell Host Microbe. 2014 Mar 12;15(3):382-392. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2014.02.005.
Background: PubMed 19865172Maslowski KM, Vieira AT, Ng A, Kranich J, Sierro F, Yu D, Schilter HC, Rolph MS, Mackay F, Artis D, Xavier RJ, Teixeira MM, Mackay CR. Regulation of inflammatory responses by gut microbiota and chemoattractant receptor GPR43. Nature. 2009 Oct 29;461(7268):1282-6. doi: 10.1038/nature08530.
Background: PubMed 16648155Conte MP, Schippa S, Zamboni I, Penta M, Chiarini F, Seganti L, Osborn J, Falconieri P, Borrelli O, Cucchiara S. Gut-associated bacterial microbiota in paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Gut. 2006 Dec;55(12):1760-7. doi: 10.1136/gut.2005.078824. Epub 2006 Apr 28.
Background: PubMed 17569118Tedelind S, Westberg F, Kjerrulf M, Vidal A. Anti-inflammatory properties of the short-chain fatty acids acetate and propionate: a study with relevance to inflammatory bowel disease. World J Gastroenterol. 2007 May 28;13(20):2826-32. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i20.2826.
Background: PubMed 24021287Machiels K, Joossens M, Sabino J, De Preter V, Arijs I, Eeckhaut V, Ballet V, Claes K, Van Immerseel F, Verbeke K, Ferrante M, Verhaegen J, Rutgeerts P, Vermeire S. A decrease of the butyrate-producing species Roseburia hominis and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii defines dysbiosis in patients with ulcerative colitis. Gut. 2014 Aug;63(8):1275-83. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2013-304833. Epub 2013 Sep 10.
Background: PubMed 20664075Sekirov I, Russell SL, Antunes LC, Finlay BB. Gut microbiota in health and disease. Physiol Rev. 2010 Jul;90(3):859-904. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00045.2009.
Background: PubMed 24732106Putignani L, Del Chierico F, Petrucca A, Vernocchi P, Dallapiccola B. The human gut microbiota: a dynamic interplay with the host from birth to senescence settled during childhood. Pediatr Res. 2014 Jul;76(1):2-10. doi: 10.1038/pr.2014.49. Epub 2014 Apr 14.
Background: PubMed 23542823Kunde S, Pham A, Bonczyk S, Crumb T, Duba M, Conrad H Jr, Cloney D, Kugathasan S. Safety, tolerability, and clinical response after fecal transplantation in children and young adults with ulcerative colitis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2013 Jun;56(6):597-601. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0b013e318292fa0d.
Background: PubMed 25853207Kellermayer R, Nagy-Szakal D, Harris RA, Luna RA, Pitashny M, Schady D, Mir SA, Lopez ME, Gilger MA, Belmont J, Hollister EB, Versalovic J. Serial fecal microbiota transplantation alters mucosal gene expression in pediatric ulcerative colitis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2015 Apr;110(4):604-6. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2015.19. No abstract available.
Background: PubMed 25647155Suskind DL, Brittnacher MJ, Wahbeh G, Shaffer ML, Hayden HS, Qin X, Singh N, Damman CJ, Hager KR, Nielson H, Miller SI. Fecal microbial transplant effect on clinical outcomes and fecal microbiome in active Crohn's disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2015 Mar;21(3):556-63. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0000000000000307.
Background: PubMed 24399213Vandenplas Y, Veereman G, van der Werff Ten Bosch J, Goossens A, Pierard D, Samsom JN, Escher JC. Fecal Microbial Transplantation in Early-Onset Colitis: Caution Advised. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2015 Sep;61(3):e12-4. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000000281. No abstract available.
Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided

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Referral and contact

AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.

Nikhil Pai, BSc, CNSC, MD, FRCPC principal investigator

McMaster Children's Hospital, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition

2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 1 study testing MICROBIOTA in people with Crohn Disease and Pediatric Crohns Disease, run by McMaster Children's Hospital at 2 sites in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Oct 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 1 studies test a treatment in a small group of people for the first time or in a new way, mainly to check safety and find the right dose.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Monthly Recruitment Rate (time frame: 30 weeks). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03378167, which also lists 24 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 Oct 2023.