Dr Jessica Allegretti: Major Advancements Being Explored for Prevention, Treatment of CDI

Emerging research on the prevention and treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) shows exciting potential for improved patient care over the next 5 years, said Jessica Allegretti, MD, MPH, medical director of the Crohn's and Colitis Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Transcript

Is there any emerging research you find noteworthy in the management of CDI and any gaps in knowledge that warrant further investigation, such as pediatric care?

I think a lot of these [therapies] have not been studied in pediatrics, and certainly, that is a huge gap. I think what's also exciting in this space is that Rebyota [fecal microbiota, live-jslm] is not the only LBT [live biotherapeutic] that has been being explored.

We know that Seres Therapeutics has their own capsule formulation that is being considered by the FDA right now for approval. There's also Vedanta Biosciences and Finch Therapeutics, which also have products in phase 3 clinical trials right now. I think this is an area that is rapidly expanding. So, overall, great for the field and great for patients, because there's going to be a lot of options to prevent recurrent C diff down the line.

Overall, I would just say C diff, again, continues to be a major health care issue. Again, it's still at epidemic levels. And so, I'm really thrilled to see that we're finally moving the needle forward with microbiome-based therapies. Antibiotics are not going anywhere; we're still using antibiotics to treat these [patients]. But I think this is a huge step forward, not only for the science in this field, but also for patient care. I think over the next 5 years, we're going to see major advancements, and I certainly hope at some point C diff is an issue that patients don't have to deal with anymore and we ultimately have a cure.