Kēpos launches 300-person trial of HMOs and human lactoferrin for adult digestive health

Supplement brand Kēpos has launched a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of its flagship Kēpos for Digestion product for adults experiencing digestive discomfort. The new study will explore how the formula’s human milk bioactives — best known from infant formula — can support adult gut health.

Kēpos for Digestion blends two ingredients produced through precision fermentation that the company says are bioidentical to components naturally found in human breast milk: KpHMO, a proprietary full-spectrum human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) prebiotic, and Effera (manufactured by Helaina), a human lactoferrin ingredient that Kēpos says helps limit the growth of harmful gut bacteria.

According to the company, the new trial is the largest to test the use of human milk bioactives for digestive support in a placebo-controlled design with validated quality-of-life measurements of the impact on abdominal discomfort, gas, bloating, and stool consistency.

Opening enrollment in November 2026, the study will include 300 US adults and will run through early 2027. It will also evaluate the products for consumer tolerance, potential side effects, influence on the gut microbiome, and differential responses across participant subgroups.

“This study represents an important step toward understanding how human milk bioactives may improve digestive health in adults,” says Kēpos co-founder Oliver Drazsky.

Kēpos co-founder Oliver Drazsky believes the new trial is a key step in unlocking human milk bioactives for adult gut health.Drazsky launched the company with his fellow University of Chicago, US, graduate Catalina Castaneda and Cornell University, US, doctoral graduate Dave Huang while researching ways to manage Drazsky’s decade-long struggle with irritable bowel syndrome.

Kēpos details that its products are formulated with exclusive bioactives originally discovered in human milk and now made scalable through Japanese fermentation technology.

“HMOs and human lactoferrin have complementary roles in the gut, and our thesis is that they can work synergistically to promote a healthier microbial environment and improve digestive function,” says Drazsky. “Early response from Kēpos customers suggests that the two bioactives we use can provide significant support for individuals with digestive distress.”

HMOs and lactoferrin for adult health

Kēpos notes that various studies have explored how HMOs and human lactoferrin may increase beneficial bacteria in adults.

Study participants in the new trial will be randomized 1:1 to receive either Kēpos for Digestion or placebo for eight weeks, explains the company. It says that the trial will include 300 adults aged 21 and older, with approximately equal representation of men and women who will be screened for measurable room for improvement in digestive quality of life at baseline.

The Kēpos-sponsored study is being conducted by Radicle Science, a company that runs rigorous, large-scale, decentralized clinical trials for wellness products. Radicle Science also recently partnered with Holobiome on a two-year research initiative, Gut-Feelings, to identify prebiotics for mental wellness and build a new model of the gut microbiome.

Radicle Science shares that its scientific team comprises physicians, neuroscientists, biostatisticians, and data scientists. The health tech company’s peer-reviewed research has been co-authored with US-based researchers at Harvard, Johns Hopkins, University of California (uc) Los Angeles, Yale, Scripps, the University of Maryland, and the University of Washington. 

“Human milk is one of nature’s most remarkable biological systems, and I believe we’re only beginning to unlock its extraordinary potential beyond infancy,” says Pelin Thorogood, co-founder and executive chair of Radicle Science.

“That conviction is what led me to become a strategic advisor to UC San Diego’s Human Milk Institute, helping advance the science in this emerging field. It’s also why I’m particularly excited about this groundbreaking Kēpos study,” she adds.

“By rigorously evaluating how human milk bioactives can meaningfully improve digestive health and quality of life in adults, we’re taking an important step toward translating scientific promise into real-world impact. This is exactly the kind of research that can open entirely new frontiers in human health.”

Nutrition Insight recently connected with Novonesis Human Health Biosolutions, Morinaga Milk, and Innova Market Insights to discuss HMO advancements beyond infant nutrition. The companies said that evidence is strongest for gut health, but regulation, claims approval, cost, and consumer awareness will decide mainstream adoption.