Clostridium News and Research

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Researchers reveal how C. difficile wreaks havoc on guts, causes life-threatening diseases

In a new paper in the journal Infection and Immunity, the researchers lay out for the first time exactly how C. difficile wreaks havoc on the guts of animals in a short time, and causes severe diarrhea and life-threatening disease in humans.

19 Feb 2015

Synthetic Biologics reports positive results from SYN-004 Phase 1b trial to prevent C. difficile infection

Synthetic Biologics, Inc., a developer of pathogen-specific therapies for serious infections and diseases, with a focus on protecting the microbiome, today announced positive topline safety and tolerability results from a Phase 1b clinical trial of SYN-004, the Company's investigational oral beta-lactamase enzyme designed to protect the microbiome and prevent Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection, antibiotic-associated diarrhea and secondary antibiotic-resistant infections in patients receiving intravenous (IV) beta-lactam antibiotic therapy.

10 Feb 2015

Risks and benefits of fecal microbiota transplant

A woman successfully treated for a recurrent Clostridium difficile infection with stool from an overweight donor rapidly gained weight herself afterwards, becoming obese, according to a case report published in the new journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

9 Feb 2015

Bathing critically ill patients with chlorhexidine wipes does not prevent ICU infections

Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers have found that bathing critically ill patients with disposable chlorhexidine cloths did not decrease the incidence of health care-associated infections when compared to less expensive nonantimicrobial cloths, according to a study appearing online in JAMA this week.

22 Jan 2015

MGB Biopharma provides update on business performance for 2014

MGB Biopharma, a biopharmaceutical company developing a truly novel class of anti-infectives, provides an update on its business performance for 2014. MGB Biopharma is developing a pipeline of novel antimicrobials that puts it at the forefront of addressing the major global problem of antimicrobial resistance.

12 Jan 2015

Synthetic Biologics doses first patient in SYN-004 Phase 1b trial to prevent C. difficile infection

Synthetic Biologics, Inc., a developer of pathogen-specific therapies for serious infections and diseases, with a focus on protecting the microbiome, today announced that enrollment has initiated and the first patient was dosed in a Phase 1b clinical trial of SYN-004, an investigational oral beta-lactamase enzyme for the prevention of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection, antibiotic-associated diarrhea and secondary antibiotic-resistant infections in patients receiving intravenous (IV) beta-lactam antibiotic therapy.

31 Dec 2014

Eight researchers to receive 2015 Leibniz Prize

The new recipients of Germany's most prestigious research funding prize have been announced. In Bonn today, the Joint Committee of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) decided to award the 2015 Leibniz Prize to eight researchers.

18 Dec 2014

New Mayo Clinic study shows impact of long-term use of proton pump inhibitors

Before reaching for that daily antacid, you might consider what it's doing to the trillions of bugs living in your gut. A new Mayo Clinic study in the open access journal Microbiome shows that people who regularly take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have less diversity among their gut bacteria, putting them at increased risk for infections like clostridium difficile and pneumonia, in addition to vitamin deficiencies and bone fractures.

25 Nov 2014

MUHC study examines effect of regular re-evaluation of antibiotic use on cost, C. difficile infection rates

Resistance to antibiotics is an important health concern that affects both the spread of infections, like Clostridium difficile, and the medication budget. Researchers at the McGill University Health Centre examined the effectiveness of adopting an antibiotic "time-out" during treatment, which involves regularly re-evaluating the treatment strategy as the clinical situation evolves.

18 Nov 2014

Inovio Pharmaceuticals reports Q3 2014 financial results, provides corporate update

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2014.

10 Nov 2014

Auxilium Pharmaceuticals reports total revenues of $109.6 million for Q3 2014

Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a fully integrated specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for the third quarter ending September 30, 2014.

30 Oct 2014

Study shows potential of treating recurrent CDI with frozen fecal matter

A preliminary study has shown the potential of treating recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (a bacterium that is one of the most common causes of infection of the colon) with oral administration of frozen encapsulated fecal material from unrelated donors, which resulted in an overall rate of resolution of diarrhea of 90 percent, according to a study published in JAMA.

13 Oct 2014

RBX2660 drug candidate highly effective against recurrent Clostridium difficile infection

Rebiotix Inc. announced today that results of the Phase 2 PUNCH CD Study found that the overall efficacy of RBX2660 in the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection was 87.1%. The study also found that administration of RBX2660 was well-tolerated and demonstrated satisfactory safety in the 60-day interim analysis.

9 Oct 2014

Study finds that hospitalized patients wash their hands infrequently

Hospital visitors and staff are greeted with hand sanitizer dispensers in the lobby, by the elevators and outside rooms as reminders to wash their hands to stop infections, but just how clean are patients' hands?

8 Oct 2014

TRU-D SmartUVC’s Ebola-killing UVC automated disinfection robot to be showcased at IDWeek 2014

TRU-D SmartUVC LLC will feature its Ebola-killing UVC automated disinfection robot at IDWeek 2014 in Philadelphia this week from October 8 to 12 at booth 826.

7 Oct 2014

Researchers reveal 'programmable' antibiotic technique to target drug-resistant microbes

The multitude of microbes scientists have found populating the human body have good, bad and mostly mysterious implications for our health. But when something goes wrong, we defend ourselves with the undiscriminating brute force of traditional antibiotics, which wipe out everything at once, regardless of the consequences.

6 Oct 2014

Research: Gut bacteria may cause animals to gain weight

A species of gut bacteria called Clostridium ramosum, coupled with a high-fat diet, may cause animals to gain weight. The work is published this week in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

30 Sep 2014

Fecal microbiota transplantation officially recommended for effective treatment of C. difficile infection

The transplantation of faecal microbiota from a healthy donor has been shown in recent clinical studies to be a safe and highly effective treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection and is now recommended in European treatment guidelines.

29 Sep 2014

C Diff Foundation to present 2014 "Raising C.difficile Awareness" conference in November

C Diff Foundation is proud to present the 2014 "Raising C.difficile Awareness" conference. Join us November 4th at 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Student Center, West 828 S. Wolcott Avenue, Thompson Room, Chicago, IL.

23 Sep 2014

Widespread use of unnecessary antibiotics drives up avoidable healthcare costs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Premier, Inc. have released new research on the widespread use of unnecessary and duplicative antibiotics in U.S. hospitals, which could have led to an estimated $163 million in excess costs.

11 Sep 2014