Making Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Easier to Swallow: Freeze-Dried Preparation for Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infections

Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) has emerged as an effective and increasingly popular therapy for recurrent Clostridium difficile infections in patients that have failed standard antimicrobial treatment. Patient access to FMT is hampered by the logistics of manufacturing, storing, and delivering the inocula. An observational study describes the development and clinical efficacy of freeze-dried FMT capsules for oral administration. While awaiting the emergence of defined bacterial therapeutics for Clostridium difficile infections, this refinement of FMT is an encouraging step toward simplifying FMT treatment. Randomized controlled trials are required to further establish the efficacy and safety of lyophilized FMT.