Cadazolid vs Vancomycin for the Treatment of Clostridioides difficile Infection: Systematic Review with Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend the use of vancomycin for the initial treatment of Clostridioides difficile Infection (CDI). Cadazolid, an experimental drug, has been utilized and compared in several studies with varying results. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using electronic databases [Medline, Google Scholar and Cochrane] for eligible studies. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) comparing cadazolid with vancomycin for CDI treatment were included. Demographic variables and outcomes (CDI resolution, CDI recurrence, and adverse events) were collected. The primary outcome was clinical cure rate defined as the resolution of CDI at the end of a 10-day course. RESULTS: Two studies with three RCTs met the inclusion criteria with a total of 1283 patients with CDI who received either cadazolid 250 mg twice daily (624 patients) or vancomycin 125 mg four times daily (659 patients). Clinical cure rate at the end of the treatment was not statistically significant (pooled OR= 0.82; 95% CI = 0.61 to 1.11; p=0.20; I(2)= 0%). Sustained clinical response at clinical follow-up was also not significantly different (pooled OR = 1.14; 95% CI = 0.91 to 1.43; p=0.27; I(2) = 0%). Cadazolid had a lower recurrence rate than vancomycin (pooled OR = 0.71; 95% CI = 0.52 to 0.98; p=0.04; I(2) = 13%). CONCLUSION: Cadazolid is non-inferior to vancomycin and offers a promising alternative for the treatment of CDI. More studies including RCTs and longitudinal studies with large and diverse patient population are needed to further confirm this. Furthermore, cadazolid should also be compared with fidaxomicin in a head-to-head trial to evaluate their efficacy for CDI.