Bacteria-killing viruses can be used to treat antibiotic-resistant superbugs, and the approach has been tried in more than 100 people in Belgium since a 2019 change in regulations
Bacteriophage to the Future: Insights from the 3rd Bacteriophage Therapy Summit
Bacteriophages infecting bacteria (illustration) [Christoph Burgstedt/Science Photo Library/Getty Images]
The overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics has led to the development of multi-resistant bacterial strains, rendering antibiotics useless in the treatment of many infectious diseases.
As bacteriophages have re-emerged in recent times and the potential of phage or phage-derived products being used in a clinical setting is beginning to be understood, there remain several unique challenges associated with this novel therapeutic agent. These challenges range from a developing regulatory landscape and the design of clinical trials to the up-scaling of manufacturing processes are just a few of the roadblocks holding back development.