An antibiotic created by a researcher at Flinders University in Australia may be a breakthrough in the fight against Clostridium difficile, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
"It's concerning when you consider [C. diff] is one of the most common infections acquired during hospital visits in the Western hemisphere, and the most likely cause of diarrhea for patients and staff in hospitals," said researcher Ramiz Boulos, PhD, adjunct research associate at Flinders University and CEO of Boulos & Cooper Pharmaceuticals.
When researchers gave doses of the new antibiotic, called Ramizol, to hamsters infected with a lethal dose of the bacteria, a significant proportion of the hamsters survived the infection.
No rats in the study suffered serious side effects or weight changes, either.
"Our research indicates Ramizol is an extremely well-tolerated antibiotic in rats, with good microbiology and antioxidant properties. It also has high chemical stability and is scalable because of the low cost of manufacturing, which could make it a viable treatment option," Dr. Boulos said.
The findings may pave the way for a simple C. diff treatment, but further studies are needed to pursue its development to treat humans, the researchers said.