Investigation of Vancomycin Efficacy in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

NCT ID: NCT07341282

Last Updated: 2026-01-14

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE2

Total Enrollment

14 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-01-31

Study Completion Date

2027-03-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

This clinical trial tests if oral vancomycin can safely treat active ulcerative colitis (UC) in adults who also have primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a liver condition. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Can oral vancomycin improve UC symptoms as measured by Mayo score at 4 weeks?
* Is oral vancomycin safe and tolerable in this patient group?

Participants will be compared to see if vancomycin works better than placebo. Participants will:

* Take oral vancomycin (250 mg twice daily) or identical placebo capsules for 4 weeks
* Have the option for 4 more weeks of open-label vancomycin after the blinded phase
* Attend clinic visits at baseline, week 4, and follow-up for Mayo scoring, endoscopy, blood/stool tests, and safety checks
* Track treatment adherence and side effects

The study primarily assesses if the trial can recruit 14 participants, retain them, achieve good adherence, and follow protocol procedures (feasibility). Secondary goals include safety (adverse events) and early signs of benefit in UC activity, liver tests, and gut bacteria balance. This pilot will guide larger future studies.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

This is an investigator-initiated feasibility study designed to rigorously characterize clinical response signals, safety parameters, and feasibility metrics in adults with co-existing PSC and UC, a population where microbiome-targeted immune modulation is hypothesized to influence disease activity.

Randomization \& Allocation Governance

* Randomization will be implemented using validated computer-generated randomization software, with the allocation sequence generated by a study statistician not involved in clinical assessments.
* Allocation concealment will be maintained through centralized pharmacy control. An independent pharmacist will assign treatment codes and release sequentially numbered study medication containers.
* Blinding integrity will be preserved through visual and packaging equivalence, sequential drug accountability logs, and restricted access to treatment codes until database lock.
* Emergency unblinding is permitted only when required for clinical management, and all unblinding events will be documented, timestamped, and reviewed by the DSMC.

Clinical Visit \& Assessment Schedule

Participants will complete a structured study visit pathway:

* Screening (≤14 days before baseline): medical history review, infection risk screening, liver disease stability assessment, and confirmation of clinical trial eligibility documentation.
* Baseline (Week 0): clinical evaluation, safety labs, medication reconciliation, and flexible sigmoidoscopy performed by credentialed endoscopists using a standardized endoscopic scoring handbook.
* Week 2 \& 4: in-clinic evaluation, adverse event review, safety labs, and compliance verification via pill count and participant diary reconciliation.
* Week 8 (extension follow-up): final safety labs, medication reconciliation, delayed adverse event capture, and optional qualitative feasibility interview.

Adherence \& Safety Surveillance

* Participants will complete weekly digital symptom and adherence diaries capturing stool frequency, rectal bleeding trends, abdominal pain patterns, and missed doses.
* Safety labs include CBC, creatinine, liver panel, CRP, albumin, electrolytes, and will be evaluated at baseline, week 2, 4, and 8.
* A hepatologist co-investigator will review liver safety signals in real-time, given PSC-specific vulnerability to hepatic decompensation.
* Audiology risk is screened at entry, and any symptoms concerning for ototoxicity will prompt same-week clinical review.

Data Capture \& Monitoring Integrity

* All data will be captured in a secure Excel file
* Endoscopic images will be stored in a secured institutional imaging server.
* A pre-registered statistical analysis plan will be finalized before unblinding, with analysis scripts locked prior to treatment code release.

Safety Governance Structure

The DSMC will provide independent oversight and safety adjudication:

* Quarterly DSMC meetings will evaluate cumulative safety logs, recruitment feasibility, protocol deviations, and unblinding reports.
* A real-time SAE notification system ensures DSMC alert within 24 hours of serious adverse event reporting.
* Pre-defined individual, arm-level, and whole-trial safety review thresholds are codified in the DSMC governance charter to support early pause or protocol modification when required.

Regulatory \& Ethical Compliance

The trial will follow all institutional and international regulatory standards:

* ICH-GCP
* Institutional Research Ethics Board approval
* DSMC governance charter
* GMP-aligned pharmacy accountability procedures

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Participants will:

Be randomized to receive either vancomycin or placebo orally twice daily for 4 weeks.

Undergo clinical assessments including Mayo scoring, endoscopic evaluation, and laboratory testing at baseline, week 4, and follow-up.

After 4 weeks, have the option to receive open-label vancomycin for an additional 4 weeks.

Provide stool and blood samples for microbiome and biochemical analyses.

Be monitored for adverse events and treatment adherence throughout the trial.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Placebo Comparator

4 weeks blinded placebo followed by optional 4 weeks open-label vancomycin.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo (blinded)

Intervention Type DRUG

Identical placebo capsule administered orally twice daily for 4 weeks.

Vancomycin (open-label extension)

Intervention Type DRUG

Vancomycin 250 mg administered orally twice daily for 4 weeks (optional extension offered to both arms).

Vancomycin

4 weeks blinded oral vancomycin followed by optional additional 4 weeks open-label vancomycin.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Vancomycin (blinded)

Intervention Type DRUG

Vancomycin 250 mg administered orally twice daily for 4 weeks.

Vancomycin (open-label extension)

Intervention Type DRUG

Vancomycin 250 mg administered orally twice daily for 4 weeks (optional extension offered to both arms).

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Placebo (blinded)

Identical placebo capsule administered orally twice daily for 4 weeks.

Intervention Type DRUG

Vancomycin (blinded)

Vancomycin 250 mg administered orally twice daily for 4 weeks.

Intervention Type DRUG

Vancomycin (open-label extension)

Vancomycin 250 mg administered orally twice daily for 4 weeks (optional extension offered to both arms).

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Adults aged ≥18 years.
* Confirmed diagnosis of UC and PSC.
* Moderate to severe UC disease activity (total Mayo score ≥5; endoscopic subscore ≥2).

Exclusion Criteria

* Diagnosis of Crohn's disease or indeterminate colitis.
* Fulminant colitis or need for immediate surgical intervention.
* Use of antibiotics or probiotics within the past 4 weeks (for microbiome substudy).
* Decompensated liver disease (Child-Pugh B/C).
* Severe Renal Impairment (CrCl \<30mL/min)
* Active untreated infection.
* Pregnancy or lactation.
* Prior allergy or intolerance to Vancomycin
* History of hearing loss or current hearing problems
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Weston Family Foundation

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

McMaster University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Neeraj Narula, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

McMaster University

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

McMaster Children's Hospital - Digestive Diseases Clinic

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Canada

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Neeraj Narula, MD

Role: CONTACT

905-521-2100 ext. 73884

Jaimin Patel

Role: CONTACT

905-521-2100 ext. 73884

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Neeraj Narula, MD

Role: primary

905-521-2100 ext. 73884

Jaimin Patel

Role: backup

905-521-2100 ext. 73884

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Ullman TA, Itzkowitz SH. Intestinal inflammation and cancer. Gastroenterology. 2011 May;140(6):1807-16. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2011.01.057.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21530747 (View on PubMed)

Uzdzicki AW, Wawrzynowicz-Syczewska M. Characteristic features of ulcerative colitis with concomitant primary sclerosing cholangitis. Prz Gastroenterol. 2021;16(3):184-187. doi: 10.5114/pg.2021.108983. Epub 2021 Sep 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34584578 (View on PubMed)

Arbabzada N, Dennett L, Meng G, Peerani F. The Effectiveness of Oral Vancomycin on Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Patients With Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: A Systematic Review. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2025 Jul 7;31(7):2027-2035. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izae257.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 39495039 (View on PubMed)

Shah A, Macdonald GA, Morrison M, Holtmann G. Targeting the Gut Microbiome as a Treatment for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: A Conceptional Framework. Am J Gastroenterol. 2020 Jun;115(6):814-822. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000000604.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32250997 (View on PubMed)

Al Sulais E, AlAmeel T, Alenzi M, Shehab M, AlMutairdi A, Al-Bawardy B. Colorectal Neoplasia in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Cancers (Basel). 2025 Feb 16;17(4):665. doi: 10.3390/cancers17040665.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 40002259 (View on PubMed)

Castano-Milla C, Chaparro M, Gisbert JP. Systematic review with meta-analysis: the declining risk of colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2014 Apr;39(7):645-59. doi: 10.1111/apt.12651.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24612141 (View on PubMed)

Lutgens MW, van Oijen MG, van der Heijden GJ, Vleggaar FP, Siersema PD, Oldenburg B. Declining risk of colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease: an updated meta-analysis of population-based cohort studies. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2013 Mar-Apr;19(4):789-99. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0b013e31828029c0.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23448792 (View on PubMed)

Lundberg Bave A, Bergquist A, Bottai M, Warnqvist A, von Seth E, Nordenvall C. Increased risk of cancer in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. Hepatol Int. 2021 Oct;15(5):1174-1182. doi: 10.1007/s12072-021-10214-6. Epub 2021 Aug 6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34357546 (View on PubMed)

Risques RA, Lai LA, Himmetoglu C, Ebaee A, Li L, Feng Z, Bronner MP, Al-Lahham B, Kowdley KV, Lindor KD, Rabinovitch PS, Brentnall TA. Ulcerative colitis-associated colorectal cancer arises in a field of short telomeres, senescence, and inflammation. Cancer Res. 2011 Mar 1;71(5):1669-79. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-1966.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21363920 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

DRIVE_UP2025

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.