AmpliPhi teams with US army on bacteriophage R&D

Bacteriophage-based therapy company AmpliPhi BioSciences will work with the US army to develop treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

AmpliPhi has entered a collaborative R&D agreement with the United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR).

The partners’ research will focus on developing bacteriophage treatments to Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.

The initial targets, skin infections from Staphylococcus aureus, are responsible for the lion’s share of 30.4% of surgical site infections in the US.

Under the agreement, AmpliPhi will retain global ownership and commercial control over any products developed through the collaboration, while USAMRMC will gain access rights.

WRAIR will meanwhile assume responsibility for production of the lead Staphylococcus product candidate for phase I and II clinical trials.

“Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections are a significant challenge for US military, as they are for the rest of the world,” said the USAMRMC principal assistant for acquisition, Dr Kenneth A Bertram.

“This bacteriophage collaboration is an important step in the battle to find much-needed alternative therapies to treat these infections.”

Healthcare fund BioScience Managers has meanwhile revealed the scale of its participation in AmpliPhi’s recent $7 million funding round.

BioScience Managers invested $1 million during the placement round, which was led by RA Capital Management and Third Security.

“Resistance to antibiotics is fast emerging as one of the biggest challenges in the modern healthcare environment,” said BioScience Managers Chief Investment Officer Matt McNamara. “We have high expectations for this investment and we’re pleased to be supporting Australian technology and talent in the context of a much larger international opportunity.”

US-based AmpliPhi BioSciences merged with Australia’s Special Phage Services last year. The combined company kept the AmpliPhi name.