At a glance
- What the study gets you
- Access to the study treatment being tested
- Type of study
- Interventional (receives a drug or procedure)
- Time in hospital
- In-person visits at study sites — visit count not specified by the sponsor
- Drug or intervention
- Faecal Microbiota Transplant (biological), FMT Placebo (other)
- How long the study runs
- Study runs about 42 months (dates as stated)
- About the drug or intervention
- Faecal Microbiota Transplant — biological: FMT is 50mL aliquots of filtered suspension of stool (0.6g/mL). · FMT Placebo — other: FMT Placebo is 50mL aliquots containing 0.9% w/v saline and glycerol in a ratio of 9 parts saline: 1 part glycerol v/v.
- Patient visit burden
- Not specified by the sponsor
- Type of study
- Testing a treatment
- Ages
- 18 Years and over
- Who
- All
- Number of participants
- 58
- Started
- 2024-03-27
- Last checked
- 2026-04
Plain English Summary
What is this study?
- • Testing a new treatment for primary sclerosing cholangitis
- • Phase2 - 58 participants
- • FARGO is a randomised, phase IIa, multi-centre, placebo-controlled trial to compare Faecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) with placebo in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and concomitant inflammatory bowel disease
Who can take part?
- • Ages 18 Years and over
- • Diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis
Where?
- • Birmingham - Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- • London - St Mark's Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
- • London - Royal Free Hospital, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
- • London - King's College Hospital, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- • +1 more UK sites
This is a simplified summary. Always discuss with your doctor before making any decisions.
About This Trial
FARGO is a randomised, phase IIa, multi-centre, placebo-controlled trial to compare Faecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) with placebo in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and concomitant inflammatory bowel disease.
More detail
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic liver disease and there is no medical therapy proven to slow disease progression. Many patients with PSC also develop inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It has been shown that there is an imbalance of 'normal' microbiome (e.g. bacteria, viruses, fungi) in the gut of people with PSC and IBD. This imbalance is believed to contribute to the development (and possibly worsening) of liver disease in PSC. It is believed that Faecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) treatment can restore the balance in the gut microbiome and that this can lead to reduction in symptoms of PSC and IBD and improve quality of life. FMT involves the transplantation of faeces (or stool) from a healthy individual to a person with PSC. FMT is prepared from stool collected from unrelated, anonymous, healthy donors. The stool is treated in a laboratory at the University of Birmingham. The donors are carefully screened and the donated stool carefully tested to ensure that it is as clean and safe as possible before it is made into doses of FMT suitable for treatment purposes. Data from treatment with FMT in other conditions including Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Clostridioides difficile (C.diff) infection and PSC has shown FMT to be safe. The primary aim of the FARGO trial is to determine the efficacy of FMT in patients with PSC. The FARGO trial will recruit 58 patients. Half will be randomised to FMT and half to placebo. The trial will be offered at a number of hospitals across England. Patients will be involved in the trial for 50 weeks, including a 2-week screening, 8 treatments over 8 weeks, and follow-up to 48 weeks post-randomisation. Trial visits will include the collection of health history, blood tests, stool tests, pregnancy tests (if applicable), medication reviews, disease specific measures, patient questionnaires and possible symptom and side-effect review. Research blood, urine, stool and colonic biopsy samples will also be collected.
How this trial compares with your answers
Answer 2 more questions to improve match
What we know so far
Still need:
- • Tell us your age for better matching
- • Tell us your sex for better matching
Preliminary match based on your answers. Full eligibility requires on-site assessment including medical history, physical exam, and lab tests. This does not guarantee enrolment.
Eligibility at a Glance
Key info
- Age: 18 Years and over
- Who can join: All genders
Biomarkers mentioned
What the study is looking for
- ✓Written agreement to take part
- ✓Age ≥ 18 years
- ✓Participants must be able to understand and comply with the purpose and procedures that are involved in the trial
- ✓An established diagnosis of colonic inflammatory bowel disease, with willingness to participate in an annual...
- ✓An established clinical diagnosis of large duct PSC, with compatible features as assessed by magnetic resonance...
Who cannot take part
- ✗The PI does not plan for any biliary intervention (endoscopic, percutaneous or surgical) for the duration of the...
- ✗The investigator decides that they do not wish to perform any biliary intervention (endoscopic, percutaneous or...
- ✗Presence of a percutaneous drain or bile duct stent
- ✗Ascending cholangitis as assessed clinically within twelve weeks of screening
- ✗Use of antibiotics within twelve weeks of screening
See the full criteria
Where Is This Study? (5 UK sites)
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Birmingham B15 2TH, United Kingdom
St Mark's Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
London NW10 7NS, United Kingdom
Royal Free Hospital, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
London NW3 2QG, United Kingdom
King's College Hospital, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
London SE5 9RS, United Kingdom
John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
How to Get in Touch
Helen Coulthard
Sponsor contactCONTACT
Anna Rowe
Sponsor contactCONTACT
