1.From John Pohl Twitter Feed:  FDA Warns of One Death Linked to Fecal Transplants (6/13/19)

An excerpt:

The consent should include, at a minimum, a statement that the use of FMT to treat C. difficile is investigational and a discussion of its potential risks.

“Two immunocompromised adults who received investigational FMT developed invasive infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (E.coli). One of the individuals died,” the agency said Thursday…

Openbiome, a nonprofit stool bank based in Cambridge, MA, told Focus: “We are saddened to hear of the recent patient death due to an infection from a multi-drug resistant organism (MDRO) transmitted through a fecal transplant. OpenBiome material was not involved. OpenBiome screens its donors and fecal transplant material for MDROs and related risk factors, and this serious event further highlights the importance of rigorous screening and clinical oversight for all fecal transplant procedures.”

 2. FDA approval for IB-stim (a.k.a. Neuro-stim) device.

Link:: FDA permits marketing of first medical device for relief of pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome in patients 11-18 years of age

An excerpt:

IB-Stim treatment resulted in at least a 30% decrease in usual pain at the end of three weeks in 52% of treated patients compared to 30% of patients who received the placebo, and at least a 30% decrease in worst pain in 59% of treated patients compared with 26% of patients who received the placebo.

:Kovacic K¹, Hainsworth K², Sood M¹, Chelimsky G¹, Unteutsch R¹, Nugent M³, Simpson P³, Miranda A⁴. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 Oct;2(10):727-737. doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(17)30253-4. Epub 2017 Aug 18.

Link to abstract of relevant study:  Neurostimulation for abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders in adolescents: a randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial.

3. FDA Approves Gattex (Teduglutide) for Pediatric SBS

From CenterWatch: Gattex New FDA Drug Approval

Pediatric SBS: “In a 24-week pediatric study 59 pediatric patients with SBS aged 1 year through 17 years chose whether to receive Gattex or standard of care (SOC)…Based on patient-diary data, patients who received Gattex 0.05 mg/kg/day experienced a 42% mean reduction in PS volume (mL/kg/day) from baseline (-23 mL/kg/day from baseline). At week 24, 38% of patients (10/26) were able to reduce PS infusion by at least 1 day per week. Patients reduced their PS infusion time by 3 hours per day on average compared to baseline.”

Related blog post: Teduglutide for SBS

Jeppesen PB, Pertkiewicz M, Messing B, Iyer K, Seidner DL, O’keefe SJ, Forbes A, Heinze H, Joelsson B Teduglutide reduces need for parenteral support among patients with short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure. Gastroenterology 2012 Dec;143(6):1473-1481

Jeppesen PB, Gilroy R, Pertkiewicz M, Allard JP, Messing B, O’Keefe SJ Randomised placebo-controlled trial of teduglutide in reducing parenteral nutrition and/or intravenous fluid requirements in patients with short bowel syndrome. Gut 2011 Jul;60(7):902-14.