From a fixed phage mix product today, to an evolving
product where phages are added or substituted by others,
one can even expect a product tailored to personalized
medicine: phage preparations could be quickly and easily
prepared for a local hospital infection or a food bacteria
poisoning epidemic. But, the current regulatory framework
in western countries is not tailored for that.
The association of phages with antibiotics could increase
both product potencies. For instance, some phages are able
to digest bacterial slime (biofilm), where most antibiotics are
unable to reach the "encysted" pathogenic bacteria. Once
the biofilm is loosen up, antibiotics may be able to kill the
bacteria. Biofilms are commonly found on prosthesis.
Several actors are currently involved in the challenge of
finding the right place for phage therapy in our future
medicine arsenal. Patients infected by antibiotic multi-drug
resistant strains expect an efficient anti-bacterial treatment
to improve their life conditions and expectancy. SMEs are
developing the pharmaceutical products. Regulators are
ready to support desperately needed new anti-bacterial
innovations. Medical teams hope that phages could push
away the impact of antibiotic resistance on mortality related
to bacterial diseases (13-16). Certain European deputies
and senators have started to advocate for phage therapy.
However, more support is needed to develop bacteriophage
collections, product formulation, high standard clinical trials
and to adapt regulations.
Politicians have a key role to play.l
Jérôme Gabard, PhD is the CEO of Pherecydes Pharma Company,
Romainville, France, since September 2009. He is been in charge
of leading Pherecydes Pharma Co. into the development of drug
products containing bacteriophages. Dr Gabard is also an advisor
to the American PhageBiotics foundation
Dr Patrick Jault is the Head of the Anesthesiology Division of the
Percy Military Instruction Hospital, Military Health Service,
Clamart, France. He was the Deputy-Head of the burns unit from
2008 to 2014 and was one of the NATO Experts of the RTG-194
on the care of severely burnt patients on the battlefield. He was
engaged in Kosovo, Gabon, Afghanistan and in Mali with the first
French deployment of troops in 2013. He is qualified in infectious
and tropical diseases and intensive care.
Both authors are coordinating a European Community funded
project (FP7) to develop new bioproduction standards for phage
drug manufacturing under the European pharmacopeia umbrella.
ALTERNATIVES TO ANTIBIOTICS
AMR CONTROL 2015 109
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