PARIS: Pherecydes Pharma, a biotechnology company specializing in precision phage therapy to treat resistant and/or complicated bacterial infections, and BIOASTER, the first Institute for Technological Innovation in Microbiology, announced the implementation of research collaboration to use phages for treatment of bacteremia (blood infections) caused by the S. aureus, E. Coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, a statement said.
Bacteremia, defined as the presence of viable bacteria in the bloodstream, represents the world’s second greatest cause of bacterial infection, with around 1.5 million deaths associated with this pathology per year1. In the United States alone, the CDC2 estimates that up to 1.7 million people develop bacteremia every year.
S. aureus is the most commonly identified pathogenic agent, both within and outside a hospital setting. Age-adjusted mortality assessments show that mortality due to S. aureus bacteremia is higher than that of AIDS, tuberculosis or viral hepatitis and similar to the mortality rate of breast or prostate cancer. E. Coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa also represent major causes of antibiotic-resistant bacteremia.
Within the framework of this collaboration, Pherecydes Pharma will draw on BIOASTER’s excellence in developing preclinical models that are relevant to these infections in order to test the efficacy of the proprietary phages selected by Pherecydes Pharma in these pathologies.
Guy-Charles Fanneau de La Horie, Chairman of the Executive Board of Pherecydes Pharma, said: “We are very pleased to be launching this new research program that is part of a broader partnership we are developing with BIOASTER, an institute whose excellence is globally recognized. Indeed, bacteremia represents major new applications for the development of our anti-S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. Coli phages. The in-vivo demonstrations we anticipate thanks to this collaboration could eventually open up new markets to us with substantial commercial potential. This collaboration is in line with the strategy adopted by the Company that aims to expand the fields of applications of our existing assets”.
BIOASTER Technological Research Institute
Created in 2012, following the French initiative of Technology Research Institutes, BIOASTER is a non-for-profit foundation developing a unique technological and innovative model to support the latest challenges in microbiology. In particular, BIOASTER uses and develops high value technological innovations that accelerate development of medical solutions for populations and personalized medicine.
The aim of BIOASTER is to bring together academic, industry and its capacities and specific knowledge to develop and execute high impact collaborative projects requiring industry compatible innovative technologies.
