The early worm gets eaten

A concoction of pig whipworms reduces symptoms of IBD, Crohn's and ulcerative colitis

By William D. Donaldson

The more foul-tasting or disgusting a medicine is, the more faith patients tend to place in it. So sufferers will be expecting great things from the latest thing in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) � a drink composed of thousands of pig whipworms.

The concoction, known as Trichuris Suis Ova, could well be available in Europe by May. German company BioCure is awaiting approval from the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products for an EU-wide license to sell the product. BioCure's sister company BioMonde already sells leeches and maggots for treating wounds.

University of Iowa gastroenterologist Dr Joel Weinstock thought up the treatment several years ago, having observed that rates of autoimmune bowel diseases in developed countries have risen in step with the disappearance of stomach parasites such as whipworms and roundworms. In countries where parasites persist, Crohn's disease and similar afflictions are still comparatively rare. Dr Weinstock believes the immune system grows overactive with no parasites to fight.

He chose pig whipworms because they don't survive very long in people. Human whipworms, which infect 500 million people globally, can occasionally cause anemia. The pig whipworm brew would have to be taken about twice a month to stay effective.

The most recent trials, carried out in America, involved 100 people with ulcerative colitis and 100 with Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the best known forms of IBD, and both are considered to be idiopathic diseases because the etiology for them is unknown. Many of the volunteers saw dramatic improvements in symptoms such as abdominal pain, bleeding and diarrhea. The whipworm treatment achieved 50% remission in ulcerative colitis and 70% remission in Crohn's.

The detailed findings are due to be announced at a conference in New Orleans this month. "With our new impressive results, we can come out of the closet," said Dr Weinstock. "A lot of researchers couldn't believe this treatment was effective, but people are always sceptical when confronted with new ideas." About 150,000 Canadians suffer from inflammatory bowel disease and recent years have seen a steady increase in the number of reported cases.