Immuron C. difficile study shows 100% survival

Immuron (ASX:IMC) has reported very encouraging results from animal trials of a prospective treatment for hospital super-infection Clostridium Difficile (C. difficile).

Every mouse treated with the product candidate after receiving a lethal dose of C. difficile survived the infection, compared to 0% for the control group.

This 100% efficacy rate is even more encouraging considering that mice have similar infectious cycles to humans, and C. difficile infections have similar effects.

Immuron is developing the treatment candidate under a collaboration with Monash University. This partnership was first announced in January, and Immuron said it has completed the animal trials ahead of the schedule spelled out in the agreement.

Immuron's C. difficile treatment candidate is produced using the same hyperimmune colostrum production techniques used in Travelan, the company's OTC preventative treatment for travellers' diarrhoea.

This platform involves deriving treatments from bovine colostrum – the first milk produced by a cow after giving birth – produced by cows that have first been immunised with proprietary Immuron vaccines.

Announcing the animal trial milestone, Immuron said it is currently working to optimise the vaccination given to the cows, to enhance the product in preparation for planned human trials in 2013.

Immuron could have a competing C. difficile treatment to contend with in the domestic market. In June, Melbourne's Specialised Therapeutics Australia announced a deal to commercialise macrolide antibiotic fidaxomicin in Australia and NZ as a treatment for the infection. Pending approvals, STA aims to commercially launch the product by June next year.

Immuron has also used its colostrum platform to develop IMM-255, a prospective OTC preventative and treatment for influenza, and recently started testing the product against swine flu in animal models.

Immuron (ASX:IMC) shares were trading unchanged at $1.7c as of around 1:30pm on Wednesday.