(Reuters) – The U.S. health regulator on Wednesday approved Seres Therapeutics Inc’s pill for treating a type of bacterial infection, giving an easier and standardized option to patients who often have to rely on individual donors for fecal transplants.
The drug, branded as Vowst, was approved for treating 18 years and older for recurrent Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infections (CDI), generally caused by prolonged use of antibiotics, which wipe out friendly colon bacteria and can cause potentially fatal diarrhea and inflammation of the colon.
Vowst consists of a certain kind of bacteria made by purifying fecal matter derived from healthy people, while fecal transplants are donated by healthy volunteers and are not purified.
Seres’ drug will compete with Switzerland-based Ferring Pharmaceuticals’ fecal transplant-based therapy, which is delivered through an enema.
(Reporting by Raghav Mahobe and Aditya Samal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Maju Samuel)
