CANBERRA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Australia has become the first country in the world to approve fecal transplants to restore gut health.
Medical regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) granted regulatory approval for donor-derived microbiome therapy to South Australian-based BiomeBank.
By harvesting healthy genetic materials from donated fecal samples, BiomeBank has proven it can treat the potentially deadly bacteria Clostridium difficile colitis (C. diff).
It is the first company in the world to be granted approval for donor-derived microbiome therapy.
"We're the first to meet that standard," said Sam Costello, managing director of BiomeBank.
"That approval should give doctors confidence to prescribe this therapy," added Sam.
Transplants are currently delivered through the colon, but BiomeBank is confident that oral delivery will soon be available.
Approval has only been granted for the treatment of C. diff, common gut bacteria that often spread in hospitals and can cause diarrhea and inflammation of the colon.
In addition to C. diff, BiomeBank has been building a library of bacteria strains from donors to treat other disorders. ■
