Last Wednesday, there was a first in the history of medicine. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for the first time a pill made from human feces. The drug, developed by the company Seres Therapeutics and called Vowst, can be used in people aged 18 and over. The drug is expected to debut in the US in June 2023.
In fact, this is not the first drug produced from human feces to be approved. In December 2022, an enema-based rectal treatment was approved and first recorded. Vowst, on the other hand, succeeded in being the first drug produced in this way and taken orally.
The Vowst drug will be used to prevent the recurrence of an infection called “Clostridoides difficile”
Just like the previously approved treatment, the Vowst pill, which contains live bacteria, will be used as a preventive method against recurrent infections with Clostridioides difficile bacteria. Breaking new ground with its oral intake, this product contains healthy human gut bacteria derived from donated feces and offers a new way to prevent infection. Clinical trials have revealed that those who use the drug are more than three times less likely to re-infection.
The infection, called C.diff for short, occurs after patients take antibiotics for a different infection. Antibiotics can upset the balance of bacteria that normally fill the gut and cause C.diff to multiply. When they multiply rapidly, they can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, colitis (inflammation of the large intestine), and in some cases, they can secrete toxins that can cause organ failure and even death. It should be noted that 15 thousand to 30 thousand people die from causes related to C.diff infections every year in the USA.
According to the data, those who recover from C.diff have a one-in-six risk of re-infecting two to eight weeks later. The risks increase with each repetition. Here, too, it is aimed that treatments produced from human feces, such as Vowst, come into play and prevent the infection from recurring.
A major step forward against life-threatening infections, Vowst will be a treatment for adults, taken orally as four capsules once a day for three consecutive days. According to the FDA, the first dose of C.diff will be taken four days after antibiotic treatment ends. In clinical trials, it was added by the FDA that side effects such as bloating, tremor, weakness, and diarrhea could occur.
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