Sheba Medical Center touts plant-based treatment for Ulcerative Colitis

January 24, 2023

Israel’s largest medical center, Sheba Medical Center, announced the results of a clinical trial confirming the effectiveness of a naturally sourced treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC).

Presented at the Crohn’s and Colitis Congress in Denver, Colorado, the study showed the significant benefits of a Curcumin and QingDai botanical combination (CurQD) in treating patients failing pharmaceutical treatment.

Results from the first trial demonstrated that the CurQD treatment was effective in active UC patients, achieving clinical response in 70 percent of cases and clinical remission in 30 percent of cases, with no safety signals.

The placebo-controlled trial achieved an even higher rate of 86 percent clinical response and 50 percent clinical remission.

“Our combination treatment of Curcumin and QingDai has the potential to disruptively advance care for patients with ulcerative colitis,” said Prof. Shomron Ben-Horin, director of the Department of Gastroenterology at Sheba.

“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.”

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the colon and rectum, usually surfacing with inflammation and ulceration of the lining of the large intestine and rectum. The exact cause of UC is unknown.

“Pharmaceutical treatments for IBD have become exceedingly costly, limiting patients’ access to treatments they need with ensuing increased morbidity,” said Dr. Nir Salomon, director of the Integrative Gastroenterology Unit at Sheba.

“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.”

It is estimated that 1.6 million people in the United States and 2.2 million people in Europe are affected by UC, according to the World Gastroenterology Organization.

Published January 23, 2023, i24 News