Optimer study highlights economic burden of acute and recurrent CDI in hospital patients

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPTR) announced today the presentation of information from insurance claims and survey databases highlighting the unmet need for targeted therapies to treat subpopulations at high risk of recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).  The research also presented the substantial mortality and frequent complications associated with CDI.  Investigator Erik R. Dubberke, M.D., M.S.P.H., of the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, presented data at the 21st Annual Scientific Meeting of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) in Dallas, Texas.  Data for this research were obtained from the 2008 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 2009 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review file, Florida fiscal year 2006-2007 Medicaid claims and 2007-2008 Medicare 5% Standard Analytical Files.

Dr. Dubberke presented the demographic and clinical characteristics of hospital inpatient CDI cases showing that the average CDI patient was 68 years old, more than half were female, and in total, 83% of CDI cases surveyed were from at least one of the following subpopulations: patients with renal impairment (36%), patients aged greater than age 80 (34%), patients aged 65-79 (33%), cancer patients (16%), inflammatory bowel disease patients (5%), organ transplant patients (2%), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients (1%), or bone marrow transplant patients (0.4%).  Each of these subpopulations are considered to be at high risk of recurrence or mortality from CDI.

Dr. Dubberke also presented data showing that Medicare was the largest payer in the CDI cases surveyed (68%), followed by private insurance (19%), and Medicaid (8%). Almost a third (31%) of the Medicare CDI hospital stays (initial or re-hospitalizations) included services in the intensive care unit (ICU) with an average length of stay in the ICU of 8.2 days. Almost two-thirds (62%) of the Medicare CDI hospital stays (initial or re-hospitalizations) included services in semi-private rooms with an average length of stay in semi-private rooms of 9.5 days.  We believe the study highlights the substantial economic burden of both acute and recurrent CDI. The dreaded outcomes – recurrence and death – are seen more commonly in the elderly and those with serious underlying diseases.