Defined Bacterial Composition for C. Difficile Microbiome Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional therapies for dysbiosis, such as fecal matter transplants, lack standardization and pose risks of pathogen overgrowth, and there is a need for effective treatments to prevent and treat Clostridium difficile infections by restoring a healthy microbiome balance.

Innovation Solution

A pharmaceutical composition comprising specific bacterial strains, including Clostridium bolteae, Anaerotruncus colihominis, Eubacterium fissicatena, Clostridium symbiosum, Blautia producta, Dorea longicatena, Clostridium innocuum, and Flavinofractor plautii, is administered to increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria and decrease pathogenic bacteria, promoting microbiome recovery and protection against C. difficile infections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If fecal matter transplants are used to reverse microbiome dysbiosis, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but standardization is lacking and risk of pathogen overgrowth increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoidstandardization
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex fecal matter transplant procedure into a standardized pharmaceutical composition containing specific bacterial strains (Clostridium bolteae, Anaerotruncus colihominis, Eubacterium fissicatena, Clostridium symbiosum, Blautia producta, Dorea longicatena, Clostridium innocuum, and Flavinofractor plautii). This segmentation allows for controlled administration while maintaining treatment effectiveness, directly addressing the lack of standardization in conventional FMT approaches.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the beneficial bacterial components from fecal matter, creating a purified pharmaceutical composition that eliminates pathogens while retaining therapeutic benefits. This extraction process resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability through selective inclusion of beneficial strains while improving standardization through a defined formulation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If fecal matter transplants are used to treat dysbiosis, then microbiome restoration is achieved, but risk of pathogen overgrowth increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemicrobiome restorationVSAvoidpathogen overgrowth risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only beneficial bacterial strains from fecal matter, creating a purified composition that eliminates pathogen overgrowth risks while maintaining microbiome restoration capabilities. The specific strains included (Clostridium bolteae, Anaerotruncus colihominis, Eubacterium fissicatena, etc.) are selected for their beneficial properties, directly resolving the harm associated with conventional FMT.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potential harm of pathogen overgrowth into benefit by selectively including only beneficial strains in the pharmaceutical composition. The controlled formulation ensures that only strains with proven beneficial effects are introduced, transforming the risk inherent in conventional FMT into a safe and effective treatment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Object-generated harmful factors

If conventional antibiotics are used to treat C. difficile infection, then pathogen reduction is achieved, but microbiome dysbiosis worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepathogen reductionVSAvoidmicrobiome health
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses beneficial bacteria as an intermediary to restore microbiome balance after antibiotic treatment. The pharmaceutical composition acts as a mediator that reintroduces beneficial strains (Clostridium bolteae, Anaerotruncus colihominis, etc.) displaced by antibiotics, thereby restoring microbiome health without requiring additional antibiotic interventions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of antibiotics on microbiome balance into a benefit by using the resulting ecological niche to introduce and establish beneficial strains. The antibiotic-induced dysbiosis is transformed into an opportunity for targeted restoration using the pharmaceutical composition, improving overall microbiome health.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentEP3836946B1Treatment of clostridium difficile infection
Publication Date: 2026.04.22 VEDANTA BIOSCIENCES INC
  • EP3836946B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3836946B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3836946B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Provided herein are methods for decreasing dysbiosis, restoring the microbiome, and/or increasing recovery of a healthy microbiome ( e.g. following a dysbiosis inducing event), by administering pharmaceutical compositions to a subject. Also provided are methods for protecting the microbiome of a subject and/or colonizing the microbiome of a subject by administering pharmaceutical compositions to the subject.