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NCT Number: NCT07017946

Intestinal Microbiome Transplant in ALS

This is a 24-week study of intestinal microbiome transplant in people with ALS. All participants will be evaluated clinically in person for 4 visits. Blood and mailed/ fresh stool samples will also be collected. Blood samples will be used to determine changes in neurofilament light chain over time. Stool samples will be processed for microbiome analysis. Participants will have phone visits to further evaluate safety and tolerability. They will then undergo antibiotic conditioning and a standard bowel preparation before being assigned to the investigational product, MTP-101C .

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1 / Phase 2

Primary location

Duke University Medical Center

Durham, North Carolina, 27705, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Richard Bedlack, MD, PhD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Richard Bedlack, MD. PhD

CONTACT

919-613-2681

CONTACT

[email protected]

About this study

This is a 24-week Phase I/II study of MTT in people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. All participants will be evaluated clinically in person at weeks 0, 4, 12, and 24 visits. Blood and mailed/ fresh stool samples will be collected at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24. Blood samples will be used to determine changes in neurofilament light chain over time. Stool samples from weeks 0, 4,8, 12, and 24 will be processed by molecular methods (metagenomics and metatranscriptomics) for microbiome analysis. Participants will also have phone visits at weeks 1, 8, 16, and 20, which will be used to further evaluate safety and tolerability and the ALSFRS-R score.

Participants will first undergo antibiotic conditioning with oral vancomycin 250 mg twice daily for 10 days. Neomycin 500 mg twice daily will be added to the last 3 days of vancomycin. This will be followed by ingestion of a standard bowel preparation with magnesium citrate. Participants will then ingest 2 capsules of MTP-101C daily for 3 days, then 1 capsule of MTP-101C daily for 8 weeks.

All participants will be assigned to the investigational product.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Diagnosis of ALS according to Gold Coast Criteria
  • Age: 18+ years at enrollment
  • Fast-progressing (ALSFRS-R change of at least 1.5 points per month between last 2 measurements at screening)
  • Modestly but not severely affected (ALSFRS-R score at or above 24 at screening)
  • Able to swallow capsules and expected to be able to for the duration of the trial (ALSFRS-R "swallowing" score of 3 or 4 at screening)
  • Expected to survive for the duration of the trial
  • Taking any combination of riluzole, edaravone, and/or tofersen at a stable dose for 30 days prior to screening, or not taking any of these and not expected to during the study.
  • Capable of giving written consent.
  • If sexually active, must agree to use contraceptive or abstinence for duration of treatment.
  • Females of child-bearing age must have negative pregnancy test at screening.

Exclusion criteria

  • Concurrent illness or laboratory abnormalities that could confound the measurement of ALS progression or the microbiome or interfere with the ability to complete the study.
  • Taking probiotics, nutraceuticals, or herbal remedies within 2 weeks of screening
  • Taking antibiotics within 3 months of screening.
  • Taking any investigational study drug within 30 days of screening or five half-lives of the prior agent.
  • Previous exposure to MTT.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Known specific food allergy with anaphylaxis
  • Other co-morbid conditions that, in the opinion of the study investigator, place the participant at increased risk of complications, interfere with study participation or compliance, or confound study objectives.

Treatment and study plan

MTP-101C

Drug

MTP-101C is a freeze-dried encapsulated formulation of fecal microbiota purified from the stool of healthy donors.

Primary outcomes

  1. ALS Functional Rating Scale, Revised (ALSFRS-R)

    Time frame: Weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24

    The ALSFRS-R is a quickly administered (five minute) ordinal rating scale (ratings 0-4) used to determine patients' assessments of their capability and independence in 12 functional activities. The total score ranges from 0 to 48, where higher scores indicate better function.

  2. ALS Quality of Life (ALSAQ-5)

    Time frame: Weeks 0, 4, 12, and 24

    The overall ALSAQ-5 score ranges from 0 (best imaginable health state) to 100 (worst imaginable health state).

  3. Neurofilament Light Chain levels

    Time frame: Weeks 0, 4, 12 and 24

    Neurofilament light chain levels are elevated in the spinal fluid and the blood of patients with ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases, and higher levels predict more severe disease progression.

  4. The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS)

    Time frame: Weeks 0, 4, 12, and 24

    The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) is a 15-item questionnaire that can be used weekly to assess the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms experienced over the past week. The GSRS is designed to evaluate symptoms associated with common gastrointestinal disorders, such as reflux, abdominal pain, indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation. The questionnaire uses a seven-point Likert-type scale, with 1 representing no symptoms and 7 representing very troublesome symptoms. Higher scores on the subscales indicate more discomfort.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Microbiome composition

    Time frame: Screening/Baseline, Week 4, Week 12, and Week 24

    Participants will also be sent collection kits to collect intestinal samples and return by mail. Data analyses will be performed to study the microbiome composition before and during the intervention.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Michelle Ward, RN

CONTACT

[email protected]

919-613-2681

Richard Bedlack, MD, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

919-613-2681

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Duke University

Other

Collaborators

  • University of Minnesota

Registry information

Official study title

A Pilot Trial to Investigate the Safety and Efficacy of Intestinal Microbiome Transplant (MTT) in People With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jun 12, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 8, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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