A naturally sourced treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC) demonstrates significant benefits for patients failing pharmaceutical treatment, according to results of a clinical trial presented at the Crohn’s and Colitis Congress in Denver, Colorado.

The curcumin and QingDai botanical combination (CurQD) was developed and tested at Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s largest medical center and a Newsweek top-10 ranked hospital.

Led by Prof. Shomron Ben-Horin, chief of gastroenterology; Prof. Uri Kopylov, director of the inflammatory bowel diseases unit; and Dr. Nir Salomon, director of the integrative gastroenterology unit, researchers trialed CurQD on 52 UC patients in Israel and Greece.

In the phase 1 trial, CurQD achieved a clinical response in 70 percent of cases and clinical remission in 30% of cases, with no safety concerns.

The phase 2 placebo-controlled trial achieved an even higher rate of 86% clinical response and 50% clinical remission, both significantly superior to placebo patients.

In addition, the endoscopic sub-score improved in 75% of patients who received CurQD compared with 20% in patients who received the placebo.

“Our combination treatment of curcumin and QingDai has the potential to disruptively advance care for patients with ulcerative colitis,” said Ben-Horin.

“The CurQD combination has been used in our clinical everyday practice for over six years and this latest study validates our clinical experience by showing the effectiveness of this plant-based, affordable oral supplement. We believe this nutraceutical approach can be adopted by medical centers worldwide enabling patients everywhere to get the care they need.”

Ben-Horin, Kopylov and Salomon recently established Evinature, a Sheba spinoff company devoted to promoting and providing safe, clinically validated botanical remedies for gastrointestinal disorders.

“Pharmaceutical treatments for IBD have become exceedingly costly, limiting patients’ access to treatments they need with ensuing increased morbidity,” said Salomon.

“Also, prolonged prior authorization of advanced therapies puts an enormous burden on physicians and causes delays in necessary treatment for patients. This needs to change. It’s time for increased health equity, and using affordable, evidence-based non-pharmaceutical remedies such as CurQD can help more patients access better health.”

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease causing inflammation and ulceration of the innermost lining of the large intestine and rectum. The exact cause of UC is not known, but it is thought to have genetic, environmental and immune system factors.

According to the World Gastroenterology Organization, about 1.6 million people in the US and 2.2 million people in Europe are affected by UC. The worldwide prevalence of the condition is around 0.1-0.2% of the population.