Cambridge-led UK study tests new preventative therapy for contagious gut infection
6 March 2026
A major new study investigating a highly contagious and life-threatening gut infection has launched in the UK – with world-leading researchers, based at Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, recruiting the first patient globally to test a new preventative therapy.
Clostridioides difficile, often called C. difficile or “C. diff”, is a bacterium that lives in the gut. When the normal balance of gut bacteria is disturbed — often after antibiotics — it can cause infection (CDI).
Symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach pain and fever. In severe cases, the infection can be life-threatening, especially for older or vulnerable people.
Nearly 19,000 CDI cases were reported in England last year, and numbers are rising. Around 1 in 7 patients die within 30 days — about 50 deaths each week. The bacteria spreads easily and can survive on surfaces for months or even years. Outbreaks can force hospital wards to close.
An industry-sponsored trial, supported by the NIHR, is testing a non-antibiotic drug designed to prevent CDI from coming back.
Patient experience
Lisa Shipp, (pictured left) a former business analyst, was first diagnosed with C. diff 3 years ago. She was diagnosed again in October 2025 and re-admitted to hospital.
Her treatment has been complicated by a pre-existing heart condition. Lisa — who previously took part in a trial related to her heart condition — struggled to maintain a normal diet because of her symptoms. She experienced diarrhoea and vomiting after developing the infection.
She said: “This research is vital because, currently, the preventative therapy options for this debilitating condition are so limited. A preventative therapy to stop recurrence can’t come quick enough.”
