Ridinilazole: a novel therapy for Clostridium difficile infection.
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of infectious healthcare-associated diarrhoea. Recurrent CDI increases disease morbidity and mortality, posing a high burden to patients and a growing economic burden to the healthcare system. Thus, there exists a significant unmet and increasing medical need for new therapies for CDI. This review aims to provide a concise summary of CDI in general and a specific update on ridinilazole (formerly SMT19969), a novel antibacterial currently under development for the treatment of CDI. Owing to its highly targeted spectrum of activity and ability to spare the normal gut microbiota, ridinilazole provides significant advantages over metronidazole and vancomycin, the mainstay antibiotics for CDI. Ridinilazole is bactericidal against C. difficile and exhibits a prolonged post-antibiotic effect. Furthermore, treatment with ridinilazole results in decreased toxin production. A phase 1 trial demonstrated that oral ridinilazole is well tolerated and specifically targets clostridia whilst sparing other faecal bacteria. Phase 2 and 3 trials will hopefully further our understanding of the clinical utility of ridinilazole for the treatment of CDI.
Summit Therapeutics plc, 85b Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxford OX14 4RY, UK. Electronic address: richard.vickers@summitplc.com.
Richard J
RJ
Vickers
Cempra Pharmaceuticals, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Glenn
G
Tillotson
R.M. Alden Research Laboratory, Culver City, CA, USA; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Ellie J C
EJ
Goldstein
R.M. Alden Research Laboratory, Culver City, CA, USA.
Diane M
DM
Citron
University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Houston, TX, USA.
Kevin W
KW
Garey
Microbiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals and University of Leeds, Old Medical School, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK.
Mark H
MH
Wilcox
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017321:Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D011725:Pyridines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D011725:Pyridines; C000601750:ridinilazole
Antibacterial therapy; Clostridium difficile infection; Gut microbiota; Ridinilazole; SMT19969