Preventing Recurrent C. difficile Disease with a Commensal Cocktail

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) often recurs after treatment of initial infection. Current approaches for preventing relapse include a monoclonal antibody infusion (bezlotoxumab), extended use of oral vancomycin or fidaxomicin, or fecal microbiota transplantation (including the recently approved Rebyota® and Vowst™). Each strategy has drawbacks.

In a phase 2 study conducted between February 2019 and April 2021, researchers explored the optimal oral dose of VE303, a defined live bacterial mixture of eight nonpathogenic, nontoxigenic commensal strains of Clostridia for preventing recurrent CDI. Participants included 78 evaluable adults with treated CDI that was either recurrent or primary with high risk for recurrence. All were random…