Global Clostridium difficile infections market to reach $1.7 bn by 2026

The Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) space across the seven major markets of the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Japan, is set to grow from just under $630 million in 2016 to almost $1.7 billion by 2026, representing a compound annual growth rate of 10.2 per cent, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData.

The company’s latest report states that the major drivers of this growth include the projected launch of prophylactic options for the prevention of C. difficile, microbiological approaches for the treatment of recurrent CDIs (rCDIs), and novel antibiotics positioned to reduce the rate of disease recurrence relative to the standard of care.

Thomas Moore, Healthcare Analyst, GlobalData, explains, "Current treatment options are generally limited to antibiotics, with orally administered vancomycin considered the standard of care. Some pharmaceutical companies are developing non-antibiotic alternatives in the hope that they will provide an attractive option for physicians. For example, Merck’s monoclonal antibody, Zinplava (bezlotoxumab), was approved by the FDA in October 2016, and is the first non-antibiotic option indicated to treat CDIs."

Several investigational products aim to leverage the clinical potential of faecal microbiota transplants (FMT) to create a drug that lowers the rate of recurrence for patients recovering from CDIs. Seres Therapeutics’ SER-109 and Rebiotix’s RBX2660 are both FMT-derived therapies that aim to provide an alternative for physicians with strong clinical efficacy and safety data. Both have completed Phase II clinical efficacy trials, and will be positioned to target patients with rCDI.