The prospect of approved and commercially available phage therapeutics

As antibiotic resistance of bacterial pathogens spreads, interest in bacteriophage (phage) therapy has soared again in many countries. Currently, there is no phage therapeutic with marketing approval and phage treatments are relegated to few patients, mostly under compassionate use schemes when approved drugs failed or are unavailable. Commercially manufactured and approved phage preparations could both expand the availability of therapeutic phages for existing, exemptional treatment schemes and result in more broadly usable phage therapeutics with marketing authorization. The lack of clinical evidence from modern clinical trials and issues with the patenting of phages are often seen as important challenges toward commercially produced and approved therapeutic phages. Here, an analysis of available data suggests that while a surge in patent filings and new clinical trials by biotech companies has begun and these challenges may be surmountable, the long-term success of commercial phage therapeutics will hinge on policy solutions that address post-approval regulatory and economic barriers.