BRIEF—New C difficile drug launched in UK

Zinplava (bezlotoxumab), the first European Commission-licensed non-antibiotic option indicated to prevent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) recurrence in high-risk adults, has been launched in the UK.

US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) announced the launch on Wednesday and predicted that it will not only help to lower the number of recurrent episodes of CDI, but also to reduce the amount of antibiotic prescriptions that would otherwise be needed to treat these recurrent episodes.

Antibiotics are often used to treat CDI, but they also may further disrupt the gut microbiota, making some patients vulnerable to CDI recurrence.

According to Public Health England, there are an estimated 5,000 deaths that are caused every year in England because antibiotics no longer work for some infections and this figure is set to rise, with experts predicting that in just over 30 years, antibiotic resistance will kill more people than cancer and diabetes combined.

Zinplava prevents CDI recurrence by providing passive immunity against toxin B produced by the outgrowth of persistent or newly-acquired C difficile spores. Trial data demonstrated reduced rates of recurrence in pre-specified subgroups of patients at high risk for CDI recurrence, including patients 65 years of age and older, those with a history of one or more episodes of CDI in the past six months, immunocompromised patients and patients with severe CDI.