ViroPharma to develop C difficile treatment

ViroPharma plans to initially focus its efforts on the opportunity to prevent recurrence of clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) following treatment with Vancocin. The company is currently conducting feasibility studies.

The company has licensed the rights to the therapeutic concept, which involves the oral administration of non-toxin producing spores of C difficile following initial treatment of acute CDAD, from Dr Dale Gerding, associate chief of staff for research at the Hines VA Hospital.

“The scientific and clinical rationale for this approach is compelling based on animal data and the clinical observation that patients determined to have been naturally colonized with these non-toxigenic strains are protected from developing CDAD,” commented Dr Colin Broom, ViroPharma’s chief scientific officer.

C difficile is a bacterium, which under certain circumstances, typically after antibiotic therapy, can colonize the lower gastrointestinal tract where it may produce toxins which cause inflammation of the colon and diarrhea, and the associated complications of disease.