30 July 2012

A new antibiotic against the C. difficile bacteria, on which Dr. Louis Valiquette had been working  at the CHUS and Université de Sherbrooke, has just been approved by Health Canada.

This new drug, called DIFICID (fidaxomixine), is very innovative since it greatly reduces the risk of recurrence. With the current medication, vancomycin, patients with Clostridium difficile had a one in three chance of having another episode. According to the microbiologist and infectious disease expert,Dr Valiquette, DIFICID reduces this risk by 46%.

DIFICID is the only new treatment against C. difficile infection to come out in 20 years.

The new antibiotic developed by Optimer Pharmaceuticals Canada has received approval from Health Canada after two international clinical trials comparing its efficiency with that of the drug currently used.

Dr. Louis Valiquette, researcher at the CHUS and professor at the Université de Sherbrooke, was site director during the two comparative studies.

“From 2003 to 2005, there was a large outbreak of C. difficile. The bacteria had then changed and was also more dangerous because 15% of those contracting it would die, and 40% would have another episode later on”, says Dr. Valiquette.

Source: La Tribune

Photo Credit : Université de Sherbrooke