Poop pills show promise for cancer patients in early London trial

A small early trial in London found fecal microbiota transplant pills reduced immunotherapy side effects for advanced kidney cancer patients and researchers report related benefits in small samples of other cancers; larger trials are planned.

New pills made from microbes taken from healthy donors were tested by a team at Lawson Research Institute and the London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute. The pills are designed to alter patients' gut microbiome and were studied alongside cancer immunotherapy. The trial focused on advanced kidney cancer and included 20 participants. Researchers described benefits to side-effect burden and quality of life but said it is too early to draw conclusions about survival. Key findings: - The clinical trial involved 20 advanced kidney cancer patients and was carried out at the London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute with work by researchers at Lawson Research Institute. - Only one participant experienced a serious side effect in the trial, and the team reported an overall 50 to 60 percent reduction in negative symptoms among participants. - Clinicians involved said the pills helped some patients better tolerate immunotherapy; one researcher reported that before FMT, about half of kidney cancer patients could not withstand immunotherapy. - The report notes FMTs have shown improvements in small samples of pancreatic, skin, and breast cancer, and that a prior smaller lung study reported an 80 percent immunotherapy response after FMT; an upcoming trial of about 160 lung patients is planned. - Lead researchers said it is too early to assess effects on survival and estimated at least five more years of testing before wider availability in North America. Summary: The small London trial suggests fecal microbiota transplant pills may reduce immunotherapy side effects and improve quality of life for some kidney cancer patients. Larger and longer studies, including a planned 160-patient lung trial, are underway and researchers say broader availability will depend on several more years of testing.