Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has become the first to treat a patient with recurrent urinary tract infections with RBX2660, a microbiota-based drug candidate developed by biotechnology company Rebiotix.
RBX2660 was designed to suppress, or even reverse, the colonization of multidrug-resistant organisms.
According to lead investigator of the trial Erik Dubberke, MD, an associate professor of medicine in Washington University's Division of Infectious Diseases, the medical industry needs an approach other than antibiotics to combat infections caused by MDROs.
"What we found is that many of the MDRO infections are related to bacteria that normally colonize in the colon," said Dr. Dubberke. "Fecal microbiota transplantation could potentially repopulate the intestines with normal, diverse microbiota that could compete with MDRO and possibly reduce MDRO colonization. This in turn might prevent future MDRO infections, such as in recurrent urinary tract infections."
Dr. Dubberke told Becker's Hospital Review that the patient Washington University treated "has not had a UTI due to the bacteria that we were targeting since the [fecal microbiota transplantation]."
This story was updated Jan. 13 to reflect Dr. Dubberke's comment on the patient.
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