Ferring Pharmaceuticals Supports the Proclamation of November as Clostridioides difficile Infection Awareness Month in New Jersey and Minnesota

Ferring Pharmaceuticals Supports the Proclamation of November as Clostridioides difficile Infection Awareness Month in New Jersey and Minnesota

• In conjunction with C. Diff Infection Awareness Month, Ferring Pharmaceuticals launches new educational website

Parsippany, New Jersey – November 11, 2021 – Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Rebiotix Inc., a Ferring Company, appreciate the support of New Jersey and Minnesota for officially recognizing November as Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) Infection Awareness Month for the second year in a row. The proclamations from the offices of Governor Phil Murphy (New Jersey) and Governor Tim Walz (Minnesota) reinforce the importance of addressing the impact of C. diff infection on patients, their families and the healthcare system.

C. diff infection has been declared a public health threat by the CDC, causing an estimated half a million illnesses and tens of thousands of deaths in the US each year.^1,2,3 The cycle of recurrence has a significant burden on patients, with up to 35% of C. diff infection cases recurring after initial diagnosis.^6,7 After first recurrence, it has been estimated that up to 60% of patients may develop a subsequent recurrence.¹² In addition to the physical toll, C. diff infection can have a mental health and emotional impact on patients.

To help support the C. diff community, Ferring is launching a new website with educational information about C. diff infection and the risk of recurrence as well as resources for managing the disease, patient testimonials, nutrition tips and checklists. This website also includes information about advocacy groups and ways to stay connected with the patient and caregiver community.

“We would like to thank the governors of New Jersey and Minnesota for helping to raise awareness about C. diff infection and its devastating impact on the community,” said Lionel Fajolle, Vice President, Specialty Care Unit, Ferring Pharmaceuticals. “In addition to the proclamations, we hope our new microbiome website provides the community with compelling, relevant information, resources and tools that are truly needed to better understand and manage this condition.”

About the gut microbiome and C. difficile infection
C. difficile infection (CDI) is a serious and potentially deadly disease that impacts people across the globe. The C. difficile bacterium causes debilitating symptoms such as severe diarrhea, fever, stomach tenderness or pain, loss of appetite, nausea and colitis (an inflammation of the colon).¹ Declared a public health threat by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requiring urgent and immediate action, CDI causes an estimated half a million illnesses and tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. alone each year.^1,2,3

C. difficile infection often is the start of a vicious cycle of recurrence, causing a significant burden for patients and the healthcare system.^4,5 Up to 35% of CDI cases recur after initial diagnosis^6,7 and people who have had a recurrence are at significantly higher risk of further infections.^8,9,10,11 After the first recurrence, it has been estimated that up to 60% of patients may develop a subsequent recurrence.¹²

Recurrent C. difficile infection (rCDI) is associated with disruptions to the gut microbiome, or “dysbiosis”. The gut microbiome is a highly-diverse microbial community that plays an essential role in human health. There is a growing body of evidence that shows when there is a disruption of the composition and/or diversity of the gut microbiome, there may be an associated risk for serious illnesses, including CDI. The current standard of care treatment for rCDI is antibiotics, which does not address the underlying dysbiosis or restore the gut microbiome.¹³ The use of antibiotics has been shown to disrupt the ecology of the gut microbiome and are a predominant risk factor for rCDI.^6,7,13

Restoring the gut microbiome is increasingly accepted as a promising treatment option for recurrent C. difficile infection.¹⁴

About Ferring Pharmaceuticals
Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a research-driven, specialty biopharmaceutical group committed to helping people around the world build families and live better lives. In the United States, Ferring is a leader in reproductive medicine and maternal health, and in specialty areas within gastroenterology and orthopaedics. For more information, call 1-888-FERRING + (1-888-337-7464); visit http://www.ferringusa.com/.

Ferring is committed to exploring the crucial link between the microbiome and human health, beginning with the threat of recurrent C. difficile infection. With the 2018 acquisition of Rebiotix and several other alliances, Ferring is a world leader in microbiome research, developing novel microbiome-based therapeutics to address significant unmet needs and help people live better lives. Connect with us on our dedicated microbiome therapeutics development channels on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Rebiotix
Rebiotix Inc, a Ferring Company, is a late-stage clinical microbiome company focused on harnessing the power of the human microbiome to revolutionize the treatment of challenging diseases. Rebiotix has a diverse pipeline of investigational drug products built on its pioneering microbiota-based MRT^TM drug platform. The platform consists of investigational drug technologies designed to potentially rehabilitate the human microbiome by delivering a broad consortium of live microbes into a patient’s intestinal tract. For more information on Rebiotix and its pipeline of human microbiome-directed therapies for diverse disease states, visit www.rebiotix.com, or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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For more information, please contact

Lisa Ellen
Director, Brand Communications
Ferring Pharmaceuticals
+1-862-286-5696
Lisa.Ellen@ferring.com

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What Is C. Diff? 17 Dec. 2018. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/cdiff/what-is.html.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Biggest Threats and Data, 14 Nov. 2019. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/biggest-threats.html.
3. Fitzpatrick F, Barbut F. Breaking the cycle of recurrent Clostridium difficile. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2012;18(suppl 6):2-4.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 24 June 2020. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/threats-report/clostridioides-difficile-508.pdf.
5. Feuerstadt P, et al. J Med Econ. 2020;23(6):603-609.
6. Lessa FC, Mu Y, Bamberg WM, et al. Burden of Clostridium difficile infection in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2015;372(9):825-834.
7. Cornely OA, et al. Treatment of First Recurrence of Clostridium difficile Infection: Fidaxomicin Versus Vancomycin. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2012;55(S2):S154–61.
8. Riddle DJ, Dubberke ER. Clostridium difficile infection in the intensive care unit. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2009;23(3):727-743.
9. Nelson WW, et al. Health care resource utilization and costs of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection in the elderly: a real-world claims. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. Published online March 11, 2021.
10. Kelly, CP. Can we identify patients at high risk of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection? Clin Microbiol Infect. 2012; 18 (Suppl. 6): 21–27.
11. Smits WK, et al. Clostridium difficile infection. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2:16020. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.20.
12. Leong C, Zelenitsky S. Treatment strategies for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. Can J Hosp Pharm. 2013;66(6):361-368.
13. Langdon A, Crook N, Dantas G. The effects of antibiotics on the microbiome throughout development and alternative approaches for therapeutic modulation. Genome Med. 2016;8(1):39.
14. van Nood E, Vrieze A, Nieuwdorp M, et al. Duodenal infusion of donor feces for recurrent Clostridium difficile. N Engl J Med. 2013;368(5):407-415.