Power Alley, Delayed: One Of Merck's Older C.Diff. Injectable Therapies To Be Phased Out In 2025: Zinplava®

This was buried rather deeply in the holiday news, but last week, the FDA website was updated to indicate that bezlotoxumab, branded as Zinplava^®, would be discontinued shortly, by Merck.

As we've mentioned in the past (see this 2012 item), there is a more. . . biological treatment for C.Diff. -- and I supsect the "in clinic, real world" year-by-year data is confirming that it is generally more effective and better tolerated, than this pricey bio-engineered monoclonal antibody injectible.

In any event, here is Reuters on the latest:

. . .Merck will discontinue its drug for a bacterial infection that can lead to fatal diarrhea, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website showed on Monday.

The antibody drug, Zinplava, was first approved by the regulator in 2016 to prevent the recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI). . . .

Now you know -- onward, to close out an even year -- and enter what will be literally, and metaphorically. . . an odd one. Candlepin bowling outing, here -- with all the grown, great kids and cousins, this evening -- woot!

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