Destiny Pharma plc announced publication of new data on NTCD-M3, its novel treatment for the prevention of C. difficile infection (CDI) recurrence, in the peer reviewed journal Public Library of Science One (PLOS ONE): Absence of toxin gene transfer fromClostridioides difficilestrain 630?erm to nontoxigenicC. difficilestrain NTCD-M3r in filter mating experiments | PLOS ONE). CDI is the leading cause of hospital acquired infection in the US and current treatments lead to significant recurrence.

In the US, there are approximately 500,000 cases of CDI each year, many of these initial cases then recur leading to 29,000 deaths per year. The study, carried out by Professor Dale Gerding and his team at the VA Hines laboratories (US), examined in vitro the potential for the transfer of the gene responsible for toxin production from a toxigenic strain of C. difficile to NTCD-M3. Such a transfer would be undesirable as it is the toxins produced that are responsible for causing serious gut irritation and major life-threatening symptoms of this common hospital gut infection.

The study demonstrated that attempted conjugations using a toxigenic C. difficile strain (630?erm) as a gene donor, failed to show toxin gene transfer to NTCD-M3 but confirmed transfer to a different NTCD strain, namely CD37, which had previously been reported (Brouwer MSM, Roberts AP, Hussain H, Williams RJ, Allan E, Mullany P. Horizontal gene transfer converts non-toxigenic Clostridium difficile strains into toxin producers. Nat Commun. 2013;4: 2601 doi: 10.1038/ncomms3601.

pmid:24131955). Destiny Pharma is currently finalising preparations for the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of NTCD-M3 and seeking partners to help co-fund studies and lead commercialisation of this exciting biotherapeutic product. NTCD-M3 has previously reported very good Phase 2 clinical trial results.