Clostridium Difficile News and Research

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Clostridium difficile is a type of bacterium found in human and animal waste. Clostridium difficile is a common cause of diarrhea that occurs in hospitals. It can also cause diarrhea or other intestinal disorders in patients treated with antibiotics.

ViroPharma initiates multi-dose Phase 2 study of Cinryze in patients with HAE

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced that it has initiated an open-label, multi-dose Phase 2 study to evaluate the safety, and pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of subcutaneous versus intravenous administration of Cinryze (C1 esterase inhibitor [human)] in 24 adolescents and adult subjects with hereditary angioedema.

27 Apr 2010

International Day for Fighting Infection focuses on hospital infection control

Hospital acquired infections are the focus for the 3rd International Day for Fighting Infection, being marked on St. George’s Day, as experts meet to look at the evolution of infection control in hospitals.

22 Apr 2010

Data on ConvaTec's medical devices to be presented at SAWC/WHS 2010

ConvaTec, a world-leading developer and marketer of innovative medical technologies for community and hospital care, today announced that data related to several of its medical devices will be presented at the 23rd Annual Symposium on Advanced Wound Care and Wound Healing Society in Orlando, Florida from April 17th to April 20th, 2010.

19 Apr 2010

Novel instrument may help limit spread of diarrhoea-causing bacteria

New strains of Clostridium difficile are making the diarrhoea-causing bacteria a global health problem. In hospitals especially, the bacteria can be extremely harmful. But a new instrument devised by Professor Chris Probert at The University of Bristol and Norman Ratcliffe from the University of the West of England (UWE) may help limit its spread.

16 Apr 2010

Hospital acquired infections on the increase

Despite being reported over a decade ago, little has been done in America to reduce hospital born infections as per a Health and Human Services department quality report for 2009 to Congress. Hospital acquired infections seem to be on the increase according to the report when compared with statistics available for 2007. The situation is being seen as critical by many health care experts.

14 Apr 2010

Automated UV radiation helps decontaminate healthcare-associated pathogens

Attendees of the Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infection were offered a record 37 presentations on the critical role of contaminated environmental surfaces in the transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings.

12 Apr 2010

Phase I study of Affinium Pharmaceuticals' AFN-1252 for MRSA initiated

Affinium Pharmaceuticals announced today the commencement of a Phase I study in the United States for its novel molecular entity, AFN-1252, a first in class antibiotic candidate focused on the oral and IV treatment of susceptible and highly resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

12 Apr 2010

Optimer Pharmaceuticals announces results from second Phase 3 clinical study of fidaxomicin

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the top-line results from its second fidaxomicin Phase 3 clinical study in patients with Clostridium difficile infection were presented today at the 20th Annual European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Vienna, Austria.

12 Apr 2010

Superbugs on the decline in Scottish hospitals

The number of cases of hospital infections is on the decline in Scotland. Clostridium difficile, the hospital super bug which brings down a number of patients each year have halved in the last year. In the last 3 months of last year the patients over 65 years reported 672 cases of Clostridium difficile. This is a 48% decline from the 1,299 cases reported in the last three months of 2008.

9 Apr 2010

Cubist Pharmaceuticals initiates dosing in Phase 2 trial with CB-183,315 for diarrhea due to CDAD

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading acute care therapeutics company, today announced the enrollment and dosing of the first subject in its Phase 2 trial with CB-183,315, an antibacterial drug candidate intended to treat patients with a severe and sometimes life-threatening diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile known as C. difficile-associated diarrhea, or CDAD. The trial is expected to enroll more than 200 subjects at 28 sites in the United States and Canada.

8 Apr 2010

Cepheid to launch GeneXpert Infinity-48 in Europe at 20th ECCMID

Cepheid will initiate European launch of its newest addition to the GeneXpert® family of molecular diagnostic testing systems, the GeneXpert Infinity-48, at the 20th annual European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Vienna, Austria. The GeneXpert Infinity-48 System is the world's first and only fully-automated, random-access system designed for management of the entire molecular testing workflow — from sample data, cartridge loading and unloading, to final reporting of test results and disposal of cartridges.

7 Apr 2010

Optimer Pharmaceuticals to present data from fidaxomicin Phase 3 studies at 20th ECCMID

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that data from the fidaxomicin Phase 3 clinical studies will be presented at the 20th annual European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Vienna, Austria.

7 Apr 2010

ViroPharma initiates Phase 2 clinical study to evaluate Cinryze

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced that it has initiated an open-label, single-dose Phase 2 study to evaluate doses of Cinryze™ (C1 esterase inhibitor [human)] for treatment of acute angioedema attacks in children less than 12 years of age with hereditary angioedema.

31 Mar 2010

EMA accepts MAA filing of ViroPharma's Cinryze for HAE

ViroPharma Incorporated today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted the filing of its Marketing Authorization Application for Cinryze for acute treatment and prophylaxis against hereditary angioedema, which was submitted through the centralized procedure in March 2010. ViroPharma is seeking European approval for both prevention and treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema.

25 Mar 2010

Hepatic encephalopathy drug XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets receives FDA marketing approval

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted marketing approval for XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets for reduction in risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy recurrence in patients 18 years of age or older. HE is a serious disorder caused by chronic liver failure, resulting in cognitive, psychiatric and motor impairments. This approval was supported by findings from the largest randomized trial of maintenance therapy in HE conducted to date, which assessed the efficacy and safety of XIFAXAN 550 mg tablets and demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of overt HE recurrence.

25 Mar 2010

Infections from Clostridium difficile on the rise in community hospitals

While prevention methods appear to be helping to lower hospital infection rates from MRSA, a deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium, a new superbug is on the rise, according to research from the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network.

23 Mar 2010

Meridian Bioscience seeks FDA marketing clearance for illumigene C. difficile molecular diagnostic test

Meridian Bioscience, Inc. announced today that it has submitted a 510(k) application to the United States Food and Drug Administration for marketing clearance of its new, simple molecular diagnostic test, illumigene™ C. difficile. illumigene is a simplified new technology platform, based upon loop amplification (LAMP) that makes molecular diagnostic testing possible for any size laboratory.

23 Mar 2010

SHEA, IDSA release new clinical practice guidelines for CDI in adults

A joint panel of experts from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology and the Infectious Diseases Society of America today released online new clinical practice guidelines for Clostridium difficile infection in adults. The guidelines, to be published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, update recommendations regarding the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and infection control and environmental management of this disease.

22 Mar 2010

HAIs in southeast U.S. community hospitals: Infection rates for CDI surpass MRSA's

Researchers studying epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections in community hospitals in the southeast U.S. found that rates of Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) surpassed infection rates for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Scientists also discovered that healthcare-associated CDI, which is a bacterium that causes diarrhea and more serious intestinal conditions such as colitis, occurs more often (21 percent) than healthcare-associated infections due to MRSA.

22 Mar 2010

Bleach solution effective in reducing hospital-acquired infections

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is the one of the leading pathogens causing hospital-acquired infection in the United States. It may cause diarrhea, colitis, sepsis and lead to prolonged hospitalization and death.

20 Mar 2010