Bezlotoxumab in Patients with a Primary Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Literature Review

Background: Nowadays, one of the main issues in the management of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the high rate of recurrences (rCDI), causing increased mortality and higher health care costs.

Objectives: To assess the available evidence on the use of bezlotoxumab for the prevention of rCDI during a first CDI episode.

Methods: Published articles on bezlotoxumab during a primary CDI episode were identified through computerized literature searches with the search terms [(bezlotoxumab) AND (CDI) OR (Clostridioides difficile infection)] using PubMed and by reviewing the references of retrieved articles. PubMed was searched until 31 August 2022.

Results: Eighty-eight studies were identified as published from December 2014 to June 2022. Five studies were included in this study, one was a phase III clinical trial and four were sub-analyses or extensions of the previous phase III clinical trial. In the phase III clinical trial, the subgroup analysis on the included primary CDI patients showed that 13.5% of patients receiving bezlotoxumab had an rCDI, whilst 20.9% of patients in the placebo group had an rCDI at the twelve weeks follow-up (absolute difference: -7.4).

Conclusions: Bezlotoxumab administration during the standard of care antibiotic therapy is effective and safe in reducing the rate of rCDI. Despite its high cost, evidence suggests considering bezlotoxumab in patients with a primary CDI episode. Further studies are needed to assess the benefit in specific subgroups of primary CDI patients and to define the risk factors to guide bezlotoxumab use.