In this episode, Ayesha talks about Nestlé’s marketing of Seres Therapeutics’ oral microbiome drug for recurrent C. Difficile infection (CDI). CDIs are the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections in the US, with recurrence being a common problem. It typically develops after the use of antibiotics which can wipe out the gut’s healthy bacteria. Seres’ microbiome drug SER-109 aims to restore the healthy bacteria via an oral capsule that contains a protective species of gut bacteria. Nestlé has been a big player in the gastrointestinal space and first partnered with Seres in 2016. The latest venture of the partnership will have the food and beverage giant utilize its global pharmaceutical business Aimmune Therapeutics to take on the role of lead commercialization party for the oral microbiome drug.The team also discussed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) adding IL-6 receptor blockers to its treatment guidelines for severely and critically ill COVID-19 patients. This includes IL-6 blockers from Roche (Actemra) and Sanofi (Kevzara). While IL-6 receptor antagonists initially met with mixed results in COVID-19 trials, recent data suggests it can cut improve survival outcomes in critically ill patients. The WHO also called on manufacturers to reduce the cost of the IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibodies to help increase access to the drugs in low- and middle-income countries.Read the full articles here: Nestlé to Market Seres’ Oral Microbiome Drug for C. Difficilev WHO Calls on Roche and Sanofi to Lower Costs for Life-Saving COVID-19 Treatment For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social MediaTwitter: @Xtalks Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured