Astellas’ Dificlir UK launch welcomed by medical experts

Astellas' new C. difficile treatment Dificlir – which was launched in the UK this week – has been welcomed as a major breakthrough by British medical experts.

The drug is the first new therapy for C. difficile infections to be released in Britain since the 1950s, with clinical trials showing it can deliver benefits compared to the current standard of care in terms of reducing rates of the disease recurring.

Recurrence has been identified by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases as the most important problem in the treatment of this condition, meaning the launch of Dificlir could be significant.

Professor Robert Masterton, director of the institute of healthcare-associated infection at the University of the West of Scotland, said the new drug could help reduce the burden C. difficile creates for NHS budgets.

Graziella Kontkowski, founder of the patient organisation C-diff Support, added: "This new treatment is a breakthrough for patients with C. difficile but even more so for those suffering recurrences of the infection."

Dificlir was originally developed by Optimer Pharmaceuticals, with Astellas purchasing its European commercialisation rights last February.