Biophage accelerates its phage therapy programs in response to a groundbreaking announcement by the US FDA
Tuesday August 22, 8:21 am ET
FDA approves phages to combat deadly microbes in meat
MONTREAL, Aug. 22 /CNW Telbec/ - (TSX-V: BUG - News) - Biophage Pharma Inc. is pleased to announce that it has accelerated its phage therapy program in response to a groundbreaking announcement made last Friday by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the safety of phages in the treatment of meat. "A mixture of phages can be safely sprayed on meat to combat common microbes that kill hundreds of people a year" federal health officials said on Friday in granting the first ever approval of viruses as a food additive.
Over the past 6 years, Biophage has built an extensive library of lytic phages against a large number of these deadly human bacterial pathogens. These "natural" phages have been isolated from environmental samples (e.g. water treatment plants, farms in the US and Canada) and a number of these phages have been fully characterized. In its phage therapy program Biophage performed several in vivo studies in experimental animal models (i.e. piglets and chickens) and generated very encouraging results. Biophage also obtained Health Canada (VDD) approval to perform clinical studies in farm animals.
"The announcement made on Friday by the FDA opens the door to phage therapy and sends a very positive message to companies working in this field. Biophage is well positioned to penetrate these high potential markets having worked with government officials for many years generating hard data which demonstrate the safety and reproducibility of phage therapies in the management of bacterial infections in animals," said Dr. Mandeville, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Biophage has seen a renewed interest in phage therapy in the last 6 months and the FDA ruling now confirms the safety of using phages to treat food products. We anticipate wider acceptance of phages as a therapy for humans and animals with a resulting exponential growth in these markets in the next few years." added Dr. Mandeville.
About Biophage Pharma Inc.
Biophage Pharma is a high potential, revenue-driven Canadian biotechnology company focused on the development of novel phage-based technologies for the detection and management of live pathogens. Founded in 1995, Biophage Pharma has well advanced phage therapy program for the management of bacterial infections and completed the development of its first prototype PDS(R) Biosensor which is entering in the pre-commercialization stage. Biophage also operates a profit center (Immunotox Labs) that provides services in Immunogenicity and Immunotoxicity, in Beryllium sensitivity testing and MELISA(R) testing for the detection of allergy to more than 20 different metals and a very large number of allergens like penicillin and pollens. (http://www.biophagepharma.com ; immunotoxlabs.com ).
For further information
Biophage Pharma Inc: Rosemonde Mandeville, M.B., Ch.B., PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Biophage Pharma Inc., (514) 496-1488, rosemonde.mandeville@biophagepharma.com
ImmunotoxLabs: Division of Biophage Inc, Miguel Retamal, Director, (514) 496-4508, miguel.retamal@biophagepharma.com
Renmark Financial Communications Inc.: Christine Stewart, cstewart@renmarkfinancial.com
Christina Lalli, clalli@renmarkfinancial.com
(514) 939-3989, Fax : (514) 939-3717, renmarkfinancial.com
Source: BIOPHAGE PHARMA, INC.
Ref:
Message 22736312 |
