In 2012 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the creation of a task force for supporting antibiotic development. The agency also offered faster regulatory review for new drugs and five-year protection for generic antibiotics. The following are pharmaceutical companies engaged in developing treatments for combating Clostridium difficile infections, as collected in a Bloomberg report.
Merck — The company is in final-stage testing for an intravenous treatment that would protect against C. diff bacteria for three months.
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Sanofi — Sanofi is in mid-stage trials for a C. diff vaccine, which would be the only one on the market, if approved. The trials will conclude in 2018.
Actelion — The company is in late-stage testing of a new antibiotic to combat C. diff, cadazolid. It expects results in 2016.
Shire — As of March 2014, the company completed mid-stage safety and efficacy trials for its VP20621, acquired from ViroPharma in a takeover last year.
Cubist Pharmaceuticals — The company is in final-stage testing for the antibiotic surotomycin. It expects final data by 2015.
Synthetic Biologics — The company is entering mid-stage testing for its C. diff-preventing pill.
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