New class of antibiotic to fight C.difficile infection major success in Phase1trials

RNS Summit plc said:

Summit (AIM: SUMM), a drug discovery and development company, announces that its narrow-spectrum antibiotic SMT 19969 for the treatment of C. difficile infection ('CDI') has successfully completed a Phase 1 clinical trial.

"The positive safety and tolerability of SMT 19969 in this human Phase 1 trial is a major success," commented Glyn Edwards, Chief Executive Officer of Summit. "The results of the gut flora analysis are particularly encouraging because they indicate that SMT 19969 could target C. difficile without undermining the natural balance of gut flora. This reinforces our belief that SMT 19969 can become a breakthrough treatment for this life-threatening disease."

Dr Ted Bianco, Acting Director and Director of Technology Transfer at the Wellcome Trust, said: "As well as the threat to patient lives, hospital infections place a significant burden on our health system by increasing costs and lengths of hospital stays. As the UK's Chief Medical Officer calls for global action to tackle growing antibiotic resistance, the results of this first safety trial bring us a step closer towards a better targeted therapy for C. difficile infection, for
which existing antibiotics are often ineffective."

Professor Mark Wilcox, Consultant Head of Microbiology at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Leeds, and the Public Health England's Lead on C. difficile in England, added: "There is evidence that maintaining a healthy gut flora is important in preventing disease recurrence in C. difficile infection. It is very encouraging that in human volunteers SMT 19969 is highly sparing of gut flora. This offers promise as a much
needed alternative treatment for this potentially serious disease."

The Wellcome Trust has supported the programme from its preclinical development and Summit received an additional Translational Award from the Wellcome Trust to continue progression through Phase 2 clinical trials.

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