Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi (SNY, SNYNF.PK), announced Monday that it has initiated its Phase III clinical program called Cdiffense to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of an investigational vaccine for the prevention of primary symptomatic Clostridium difficile infection or CDI.
Clostridium difficile or C. diff is a potentially life-threatening, spore-forming bacterium that causes intestinal disease. The risk of C. diff increases with age, antibiotic treatment and time spent in hospitals or nursing homes, where multiple cases can lead to outbreaks.
The company said that the investigational vaccine is designed to help protect at-risk individuals from C. diff, which is emerging as a leading cause of life-threatening, healthcare-associated infections or HAIs worldwide.
The Cdiffense Phase III clinical program has just started recruiting volunteers for a randomized, observer-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center, multi-national trial that will include up to 15,000 adults at 200 sites across 17 countries. Volunteers for the study should be age 50 or older and planning an upcoming hospitalization or have had at least two hospital stays and have received systemic antibiotics in the past year, the company said.
For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com