Microbial Restoration in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

The study will be conducted in two parts. The first part will involve all patients undergoing an optimisation phase, followed by randomisation into either intervention or placebo arms of the induction phase of the study. For patients achieving a pre-determined clinical response threshold at week 8 they will be re-randomised into the maintenance phase of the trial for a further 44 weeks.

FMT will be anaerobically prepared, freeze-thawed for administration.

Inclusion criteria

Active Crohn's disease

• Confirmed endoscopic active inflammation (unless isolated small bowel disease that is inaccessible by endoscopy in which case sonographic inflammation is sufficient) within 6 months of study entry AND
• CDAI score of 220-450 AND
• One of the following:

• CRP ≥5mg/L
• faecal calprotectin ≥100μg/g
• inflammation on imaging (either intestinal ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging)
• Willing and able to attend the study sites for regular endoscopic procedures.

Exclusion criteria

Active perianal or fistulising disease; Pregnant or intending to become pregnant within 12 months; Enteropathy or colitis other than Crohn's disease; Symptomatic intestinal stricture likely to require surgical treatment; Presence of a stoma; Presence of an ileoanal pouch; Total white cell count less than 3.0 x 109/L; Albumin less than 20g/L; Immunodeficiency (beyond that caused by immune suppressants used for the treatment of IBD) e.g. HIV or Common variable immune deficiency; Anaphylaxis/severe allergy to food; Thiopurine, methotrexate, biologic agent or small molecule inhibitors or aminosalicylates whose dose has been modified within the past two months, 1 month and two weeks of study entry, respectively; Prebiotic, probiotic or antibiotic therapy, or over-the-counter supplements therapy in the two weeks prior to study entry; Rectal topical Crohn's disease therapy in the 2 weeks prior to study entry; Prednisolone dose >20mg or budesonide dose >6mg; Unwilling or unable to taper corticosteroids to zero within 8 weeks of initial FMT; Active gastrointestinal infection; Alcohol consumption of a dependent nature; Primary sclerosing cholangitis; Any condition that the treating gastroenterologist deems to pose a theoretical risk to the patient undertaking FMT; Any patient that the treating clinicians feel is incapable of participating in the safe use of FMT.