Preventing Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Disease with an Oral Microbiome Preparation

The development of C. difficile disease (CDD) is driven by gut microbiome alterations that allow germination and vegetative growth of C. difficile spores, with subsequent toxin production. Fecal microbiota transplantation can be highly effective in preventing CDD, despite variable clinical responses and concerns about inadvertent exposure to unrecognized pathogens within the transplant. In an industry-supported trial, investigators asked whether the beneficial effects of fecal microbiota transplantation could be achieved using an oral microbiome product, SER-109, composed of live Firmicutes bacterial spores derived from healthy human donor fecal material extensively processed to remove all other bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. They…