NEW CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE TREATMENT

The experimental antibiotic fidaxomicin won approval today from the FDA

Anti -Infective Drug Advisory committee for treatment of C. Difficile colitis.

This will almost certainly result in full approval by the FDA and subsequent

marketing of the drug for this condition.This will give us the second approved

drug to treat this very serious condition. Oral vancomycin is far too expensive and

suffers from a high relapse rate. I have had excellent results with Xifaxin(rifixamin)

dosed at 400-550 mg TID with no relapses. This regimen is about half the costs of

vancomycin. I no longer recommend or use Flagyl. It has never sought approval

and the response rate and relapse rate have dramatically decreased and increased

in recent years. Xifaxin has an ongoing study for C. diff which should definitley lead

to approval. The new drug fidaxomicin is a luminal antibiotic with minimal side

effects. It will be marketed under the name Dificid.    Dr S