kēpos Launches Biggest Clinical Trial on Use of Human Milk Bioactives to Improve Digestive Quality of Life in Adults

Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study Will Include 300 Participants 

CHICAGO, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- kēpos a supplement brand pioneering the use of human milk bioactives in adult nutrition, today announced the launch of a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of its flagship kēpos for Digestion product in adults experiencing digestive discomfort. The study will enroll 300 U.S. adults, begins this month, and is expected to run through early 2027.

kēpos for Digestion combines two fermentation-produced ingredients that are bioidentical to components naturally found in human breast milk: kpHMO™, a proprietary full-spectrum human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) prebiotic, and effera®, a human lactoferrin ingredient that helps limit the growth of harmful gut bacteria. Multiple studies have established that both HMOs and human lactoferrin increase beneficial bacteria in adults.

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, including the impact on abdominal discomfort, gas, bloating and stool consistency. It will also evaluate user tolerance of the product, potential side effects, its influence on the gut microbiome, and differential responses across participant subgroup.

"This study represents an important step toward understanding how human milk bioactives may improve digestive health in adults," said kēpos co-founder Oliver Drazsky, who launched the company with fellow University of Chicago graduate Catalina Castaneda and Cornell doctorate Dave Huang in a quest to mitigate his own decade-long struggle with irritable bowel syndrome. "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. Early response from kēpos customers suggests that the two bioactives we use can provide significant support for individuals with digestive distress."

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

The study is being conducted by Radicle Science, a healthtech public benefit corporation that runs rigorous, large-scale, decentralized clinical trials for wellness products. Radicle Science's scientific team includes physicians, neuroscientists, biostatisticians and data scientists, and its peer-reviewed research has been co-authored with researchers at Harvard, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, 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. 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," said Pelin Thorogood, co-founder and executive chair of Radicle Science. "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."

About kēpos

kēpos is a supplement brand pioneering the use of human milk bioactives in adult nutrition. kēpos' products are formulated with exclusive bioactives originally discovered in human milk, now made scalable through Japanese fermentation technology. They sell direct-to-consumer online, through Erewhon, and are backed by the University of Chicago. trykepos.com 

SOURCE kēpos