The biotechnology company announces that it has received approval from the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) to conduct a clinical study in the treatment of joint infections induced by Staphylococcus aureus.
Pherecydes Pharma can perform a phase II clinical test on its phages | Photo credits: Pherecydes
Pherecydes Pharma, a biotechnology company specializing in precision phage therapy intended to treat resistant bacterial infections, has obtained authorization from the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) to clinically test its phages (viruses targeting bacteria only) in the case of osteoarticular infections on prostheses caused by Staphylococcus aureus.
The phase I / II clinical study will allow the company to analyze the efficacy signals of its treatment as well as its safety and tolerance in around sixty patients suffering from a joint infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The approval of this first phase II trial stems from the nature of a high priority pathogen for the research and development of new treatments for Staphylococcus aureus.
Phagotherapy and surgical procedure
The study, entitled “PhagoDAIR”, is the first in the world of phage therapy carried out for this type of infections. Conducted in France and Spain, it will focus on the evaluation of the efficacy and tolerance of phages associated with the Debridement, Anitbiotics, Implant Retention (DAIR) procedure, “ surgical intervention during which phages are applied ”, specifies the company.
Two groups will make it possible to analyze the performance of this treatment: a first treated by phage therapy, a second which “Will receive placebo, in addition to the reference treatment”, Who “Will consist of the DAIR surgical procedure (…) associated with antibiotic therapy”, indicates the company. Patient recruitment is scheduled for spring 2022 and results expected for summer 2023. If they prove to be conclusive, Pherecydes Pharma will be able to start a phase III study from the end of 2023.
Guy-Charles Fanneau de La Horie, Chairman of the Management Board of Pherecydes Pharma, said he “Impatient to evaluate our phage champions” and insisted on this study as being “One of the pillars of our development strategy” before adding that “Its upcoming launch brings us even closer to our ambition to become one of the world leaders in phage therapy”.
The title climbs more than 4%, to 7.1 euros.
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