Pherecydes Pharma receives a new sign of interest in its work. Bpifrance, the French organization for the development of companies, will finance a good part of the PhagECOLI project of a biotechnology company specializing in precision phage therapy, intended to treat bacterial infections resistant to antibiotics.
By “good part”, let us understand an amount of 2 million euros, which makes it possible to cover half of the estimated cost of the research work, of which 20%, however, must go to the CEA, partner of Pherecydes Pharma in this project.
The three-year PhagECOLI project aims to provide new treatments for E. Coli infections (Escherichia coli, bacteria found in the digestive tract of humans and warm-blooded animals) that are difficult to treat. or resistant, thanks to precision phage therapy (production of bacteriophages, bacteria eaters, specific).
As part of this work, Pherecydes Pharma and the CEA will develop a new generation of tools for measuring the effectiveness of anti-E phages. Coli on the patient’s bacterial strain. These new tools could then be the basis of a new generation of phagograms (selection of the most active phages on the bacterial strain collected) for the various target bacteria. It is within this framework that PhagECOLI was submitted to the call for expression of interest Emerging infectious diseases and New biological and chemical radiological threats.
A critical priority according to the WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Escherichia coli in the group of bacteria presenting a critical priority in terms of finding new treatments, because of its dangerousness and its resistance to antibiotics. According to data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), resistant E. coli infections represent the most common infections in Europe in hospitals with more than 163,000 cases per year.
Biotech’s most advanced clinical program concerns Staphylococcus aureus. Its priority indications are infections due to knee and hip prostheses and diabetic foot ulcer, the leading cause of amputation in developed countries. The first clinical efficacy results are expected in the third quarter of 2022 for bone and joint infections on prosthesis. By then, the company will receive first income thanks to ATUs (temporary authorizations for use), which will allow it to sell the treatment before its approval, from the second half of the year.
On the stock market, the action climbed more than 12% after being reserved for the rise shortly after the opening.