Clostridioides Difficile Colitis
Clostridioides difficile colitis (C. diff) is a dangerous bacterial infection of the gut that can be life-threatening. It produces toxins and is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea worldwide. Infections can be common in healthcare facilities, like hospitals and nursing homes, but are also diagnosed in community settings. People who have recently been on antibiotics or are still taking them are more susceptible, as are older people and those with health problems or weakened immune systems.1 There is currently no approved vaccine for C. diff.
500,000 cases of C. diff occur each year in the U.S.2
20,000+ in-hospital deaths occur with C. diff annually in the U.S.3
Over 30% of patients with C. diff will experience a recurrence4
Our C. diff vaccine candidate targets a major pathogen responsible for antibiotic-associated diarrhea, frequently observed in hospital settings. We’re exploring the potential of our technology platform to enable a multivalent C. diff vaccine to prevent primary C. diff infections.
There is currently no approved vaccine for C. diff. A vaccine preventing primary C. diff infections could address a large population, high disease burden and lack of preventative solutions.
Pipeline
Our preclinical vaccine pipeline is designed to address areas with high unmet medical need.
Partnership
Our pipeline offers more than infectious disease options to partners.
- Mada PK, Alam MU. Clostridioides difficile infection [Internet]. StatPearls. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431054/. Accessed 2025 Aug 20.
- Guh AY. et al. Trends in US burden of Clostridioides difficile infection and outcomes. N Engl J Med. 2020;382:1320–1330. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1910215.
- Zhang S. et l. Cost of hospital management of Clostridium difficile infection in United States-a meta-analysis and modelling study. BMC Infect Dis. 2016;16(1):447. doi: 10.1186/s12879-016-1786-6.
- Feuerstadt P. et al. Mortality, Health Care Use, and Costs of Clostridioides difficile Infections in Older Adults. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2022 Oct;23(10):1721-1728.e19. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2022.01.075.