Results From a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of a RBX2660—A Microbiota-Based Drug for the Prevention of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection

Abstract

Despite advancements, recurrent Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) remain an urgent public health threat with insufficient response rates to currently approved antibiotic therapies. Microbiota-based treatments appear effective, but rigorous clinical trials are required to optimize dosing strategies and substantiate long-term safety. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2B trial enrolled adults with 2 or more CDI recurrences to receive: 2 doses of RBX2660, a standardized microbiota-based drug (group A); 2doses of placebo (group B); or 1 dose of RBX2660 followed by 1 dose of placebo (group C). Efficacy was defined as prevention of recurrent CDI for 8 weeks following treatment. Participants who had a recurrence within 8 weeks were eligible to receive up to 2 open-label RBX2660 doses. The primary endpoint was efficacy for group A compared to group B. Secondary endpoints included the efficacy of group C compared to group B, combined efficacy in the blinded and open-label phases, and safety for 24 months. The efficacy for groups A, B, and C were 61%, 45%, and 67%, respectively. The primary endpoint was not met (P = .152). One RBX2660 dose (group C) was superior to placebo (group B; P = .048), and the overall efficacy (including open-label response) for RBX2660-treated participants was 88.8%. Adverse events did not differ significantly among treatment groups. One, but not 2, doses of RBX2660 was superior to placebo in this randomized, placebo-controlled trial. These data provide important insights for a larger phase 3 trial and continued clinical development of RBX2660. NCT02299570.