Austrian biotech receives funding to advance therapies to combat antibiotic-resistance

Vienna-based biotech company, PhagoMed Biopharma, has received more than €4 million in grants and private investments, which will be used to boost the development of alternative therapies to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

PhagoMed, which is located at the Vienna Biocenter, is focused on developing virus- (phage-) based therapies to be used in the treatment of bacterial infections. The monies raised will be used to continue the pre-clinical development of three drug candidates.

Phages, a specific class of viruses infecting and destroying bacteria, are a promising alternative to combat these bacteria. The potential of phages as a novel therapeutic has been recognised by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH, FFG), the Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft mbH (aws) and private investors, who raised the investment funds for PhagoMed.

“Phages are able to destroy bacteria effectively by using a mechanism of action regardless of a resistance to antibiotics”, says Prof. Wippermann, head of Surgery at a large German hospital as well as director medical and co-founder of PhagoMed. “Studies and experimental treatments performed by us and colleagues have shown that phages are able to succeed where antibiotics have previously failed.”

The company’s project development has been based on studies performed by Prof. Wippermann and other co-founders and currently, involves the evaluation of three potential drug candidates.

A specific field of focus for the company is the treatment of infected artificial joints, which are often caused by multiresistant bacteria. In these instances, it is common for the bacterial to form a so-called biofilm on the surface of the prosthesis, which can further inhibit the effectiveness of antibiotics. It is here that phages offer significant promise as they are capable of not only killing the bacteria but also degrading the biofilms.

Animal trials specifically looking at this application are set to start later on this year.