UK study tests new preventative therapy for C. difficile
A study investigating a life-threatening and contagious gut infection has launched in the UK – with researchers recruiting the first patient in the world to test a new preventative therapy.
Clostridioides difficile, commonly known as C. difficile or ‘C. diff’, is a bacterium that lives in the gut. When the balance of gut bacteria is disrupted – often after taking antibiotics – it can cause infection (CDI), leading to symptoms such as diarrhoea, stomach pain and fever. In severe cases, CDI can be life-threatening, particularly for older or vulnerable people.
Nearly 19,000 CDI cases were reported in England last year, with numbers rising annually. Around one in seven patients die within 30 days – equivalent to about 50 deaths a week. The bacteria spreads easily and can survive on surfaces for months or even years, sometimes forcing hospital wards to close during outbreaks.
Now a trial, industry-sponsored and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is examining a non-antibiotic drug which is designed to prevent the recurrence of CDI.
CDI can usually be treated with antibiotics, but preventative therapy options are limited. Recurrent infections often require repeated courses of antibiotics, increasing the risk of resistance.
Researchers believe that the preventative therapy drug could help prevent CDI from coming back and protect patients from recurrence.
An example of joined-up working
Dr Effrossyni Gkrania-Klotsas, NIHR National Specialty Lead for Infection, is leading the trial at Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) where she is an Infectious Diseases Consultant. She said: “C. diff can cause severe illness and can be life-threatening, particularly for older and vulnerable patients. And in hospital settings it is especially difficult to control, as it spreads easily and can survive on surfaces for long periods, requiring intensive infection-prevention measures. For patients, infection can mean prolonged illness and longer hospital stays; for staff, it can mean ward closures and disrupted care. So, a non-antibiotic preventative approach could help protect patients while easing pressure on hospital services and improving overall patient safety.”
The trial will use the NIHR UK Vaccine Innovation Pathway (VIP), which works collaboratively with life science companies and health and care organisations to accelerate research. The study’s first participant was recruited within 86 days, significantly faster than the government’s national ambition to reduce commercial trial setup times to under 150 days.
Dr Gkrania-Klotsas added: “By bringing together the NIHR, the sponsor and delivery partners, CUH researchers showed how joined-up working across organisations can overcome complexity and deliver more than any one partner could alone. This work also supports the UK Government’s priority to shift from sickness to prevention, helping research reach patients faster and benefit more people.”