top of page

Trichuris suis ova therapy

Whipworms found in pigs ingested by humans results in short term self limited colonization of human GI tract.  Early uncontrolled studies (no placebo) found an 80% response rate of Crohns disease to this treatment (Gut. 2005 Jan;54(1):87-90.), however controlled randomized trials for the same disease found no difference between trichuris suis and placebo (Journal of Crohn's and Colitis, Volume 11, Issue 4, 1 April 2017, Pages 390–399).  Similarly, treatment of allergic rhinitis using a RCT placebo controlled trial failed to find any therapeutic effect compared to placebo, and induced diarrhea in 33% of study patients and 2% of the placebo patients (J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010 Jan;125(1):123-30.  A RCT for ulcerative colitis found 43% of the trichuris suis group had clinical improvement and 10% went into remission  compared to 17% and 4% for the placebo controlled group (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Jan 20;(1):CD009400).  At this time the usefulness of the therapy appears to be validated only in the use for treatment of ulcerative colitis

bottom of page