New hope for severe colitis: experimental drug BRS201 enters human trial

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Severe outpatient or hospitalized for an acute UC flare * Ability to give consent * Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of UC for \> 3 months * History of ≥ 15 cm of colonic involvement as confirmed by colonoscopy * Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis are eligible to enroll * Patients will have failed 5 days of oral prednisone 30 mg or greater for 5 days and still having a SCCAI of \> 6 * Patients who are taking 20mg or less of oral prednisone and plan to stay at that dose during their participation in the study * Accepted medications: * Anti-TNF agents are permissible if the patient has been taking them for at least 10 weeks and anticipates to maintain a steady for the duration of the study. * Rinvoq (Upadacitinib) is permissible if the subject has been taking this medication for at least 4 weeks and anticipates to maintain a steady dose for the duration of the study. * Xeljanz (Tofacitinib) is permissible if the subject has been taking this medication for at least 4 weeks and anticipates to maintain a steady dose for the duration of the study. * Other biologics are permissible if the subject has been taking the medication for at least 10 weeks and anticipates to maintain a steady dose for the duration of the study Exclusion Criteria: * History of uncontrolled hypertension with systolic BP \> 140 and systolic BP \> 90 * Chronic kidney disease as defined by GFR \<55mL/min * Impaired hepatic function (transaminases elevated \> 2.5 x ULN) unless due to PSC * Evidence of C. difficile (Negative test result within 1 month is acceptable) * Infectious Colitis or drug induced colitis * Crohn's Disease or Indeterminate colitis * Decompensated liver disease * Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding * Patients who have a confirmed malignancy or cancer within 5 years * Congenital or acquired immunodeficiencies * Other comorbidities including: Diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus * Participation in a therapeutic clinical trial in the preceding 30 days or simultaneously during this trial * Patients with a history or risk of cardiovascular conditions, including arrhythmia, long QT syndrome, congestive heart failure, stroke, or coronary artery disease * Prohibited medications: * Rinvoq (Upadacitinib): Subjects will be excluded from this study if their last dose of this medication was administered within 4 weeks. If subjects have stopped taking this medication and their last dose was administered more than 4 weeks prior to enrollment, they will be eligible for participation. * Xeljanz (Tofacitinib): Subjects will be excluded from this study if their last dose of this medication was administered within 4 weeks. If subjects have stopped taking this medication and their last dose was administered more than 4 weeks prior to enrollment, they will be eligible for participation. * Other Medications: Subjects will be excluded from this study if they stopped taking any other medications for ulcerative colitis within 8 weeks. If subjects have stopped taking the medication and their last dose was more than 8 weeks prior to enrollment, they will be eligible for participation.