ACAMBIS STARTS CLOSTRIDIUM TRIAL

Acambis has begun a Phase I clinical trial of its investigational vaccine against Clostridium difficile in healthy elderly subjects. This follows an initial Phase I safety and immunogenicity trial in healthy young adults that began in July.

Clostridium difficile infection, which is characterised by diarrhoea and colitis, is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections around the world. A hyper-virulent, hyper-toxigenic strain of the infection has recently emerged and is believed to be responsible for sharp increases in the number of infections and deaths associated with the infection in countries including the UK, Canada and the U.S.