Clostridium News and Research

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New CDI therapeutic approach may offer treatment for other bacterial diseases

Researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have discovered a molecular process by which the body can defend against the effects of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), pointing the way to a promising new approach for treating an intestinal disease that has become more common, more severe and harder to cure in recent years.

22 Aug 2011

C. difficile infection more prevalent in Chicago-area acute care hospitals

An outbreak strain of Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that causes diarrhea and sometimes life-threatening inflammation of the colon, is common in Chicago-area acute care hospitals, an investigation published in the September issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology suggests.

12 Aug 2011

UTHealth student receives UNCF/Merck fellowship for multidrug-resistant CDI research

Charles Darkoh, a graduate student at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), has been awarded a fellowship from the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and Merck for his research into a major health problem - multidrug-resistant Clostridium difficile bacterial infection.

3 Aug 2011

Sorrento receives NIAID Phase I STTR grant to develop vaccines against C. difficile infection

Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that it has received a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer Research grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.

29 Jul 2011

Physician-targeted education campaign reduces outpatient antibiotic use in Quebec

Antibiotic overuse and resistance have emerged as major threats during the past two decades. Following an outbreak of Clostridium difficile infections, which often result from antibiotic use, health care professionals in Quebec, Canada targeted physicians and pharmacists with an education campaign that reduced outpatient antibiotic use, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and now available online.

26 Jul 2011

Optimer introduces DIFICID for treatment of C. difficile-associated diarrhea

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the commercial launch of DIFICID (fidaxomicin) tablets for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in patients 18 years of age and older.

19 Jul 2011

Sodexo selects Xenex as preferred partner for disinfection of client facilities

Sodexo Inc., a world leader in healthcare environmental services management, and Xenex Healthcare Services, the world leader in room disinfection systems, today announced Xenex has been selected as Sodexo's preferred partner for disinfection of Sodexo client facilities. Xenex's portable room disinfection system uses pulsed xenon ultraviolet light to destroy all viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores in the patient environment without contact or chemicals.

18 Jul 2011

Molecular technology detects up to 50% more cases of C. diff than other methods

A study from the microbiology lab at the Lifespan hospitals has found that some lab tests are much more accurate in identifying Clostridium difficile Toxin infection, which causes diarrhea.

6 Jul 2011

Auxilium reports three year data from XIAFLEX CORDLESS study in Dupuytren's contracture

Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced three year recurrence data from the Collagenase Optimal Reduction of Dupuytren's - Long-term Evaluation of Success Study (CORDLESS) for XIAFLEX® (collagenase clostridium histolyticum) in the treatment of adult Dupuytren's contracture patients with a palpable cord.

30 Jun 2011

Positive results from Cubist CXA-201 and CB-183,315 Phase 2 studies for complicated intra-abdominal infections

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading acute care therapeutics company, today announced positive top-line results from the recently completed Phase 2 studies of its CXA-201 and CB-183,315 antibiotic pipeline candidates. CXA-201 was studied for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) in adults.

16 Jun 2011

NIAID awards Biota $2.9M grant for development of lead candidate for C. difficile

Biota Holdings Limited advises that its wholly owned subsidiary, Biota Scientific Management Pty Ltd, has been awarded a grant to fund the preclinical development of a lead candidate for the treatment of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile).

10 Jun 2011

Quest Diagnostics receives MDEA gold award for Simplexa/3M technology

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced that its Simplexa molecular diagnostic test on the 3M Integrated Cycler won a gold award in the in vitro diagnostics category at the 2011 MDEA awards ceremony yesterday in New York City.

From Quest Diagnostics 10 Jun 2011

Majority of patients with ulcerative colitis eager to undergo fecal microbiota transplantation

The first study of the social and ethical issues associated with a provocative approach to treatment for ulcerative colitis has found that the majority of potential patients are eager for what is now called "fecal microbiota transplantation" to become available, although many have concerns about donor selection, screening, and methods of delivery.

3 Jun 2011

Scientists develop carbohydrate-based vaccine against C. difficile infection

There is now a promising vaccine candidate for combating the pathogen which causes one of the most common and dangerous hospital infections. An international team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam has developed a vaccine based on a carbohydrate against the Clostridium difficile bacterium, which is known to cause serious gastrointestinal diseases mainly in hospitals.

31 May 2011

Some Veterans' health jeopardized due to poor infection control

Herman Williams came home safely after fighting in the jungles of Vietnam as a Marine. He was shocked to learn four decades later that his military service had again placed him in jeopardy — this time, because he got a tooth pulled. Williams is among 13,000 U.S. veterans who have been warned in the last two years that their blood should be tested for potentially fatal infections after possible exposures by improper hygiene practices at five VA hospitals in Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee.

31 May 2011

Optimer receives FDA approval for Dificid tablets to treat C. difficile-associated diarrhea

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Dificid tablets for the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.

30 May 2011

Monitoring adherence to mandatory hand-washing protocols can help stop outbreaks of C. diff bacteria

Just like intelligence agents watching for the real terrorists threatening to attack, monitoring healthcare worker adherence to mandatory hand-washing protocols via hand-washing squads in hospitals can go a long way to stop outbreaks of the opportunistic C. diff bacteria, says Irena Kenneley, an infection prevention and control expert and assistant professor of nursing from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

20 May 2011

ViroPharma commences VP 20621 Phase 2 study for prevention of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced initiation of a Phase 2 dose-ranging clinical study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of VP 20621 for prevention of recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in adults previously treated for CDI.

20 May 2011

Gut bacteria influences brain chemistry and behaviour: Research

For the first time, researchers at McMaster University have conclusive evidence that bacteria residing in the gut influence brain chemistry and behaviour.

18 May 2011

Two DIFICID Phase 3 trial data in C. difficile infection presented at AGS Annual Meeting

Optimer Pharmaceuticals today announced the presentation of an additional analysis of data from the company's two Phase 3 clinical trials of DIFICID, an investigational antibiotic for the treatment of Clostridium difficile Infection, at the American Geriatric Society (AGS) Annual Meeting held in National Harbor, Maryland.

13 May 2011