Publications

BX001, a formulated phage cocktail, was designed to target a wide host range of C. acnes and was demonstrated to be safe for topical use by comprehensive preclinical in silico and ex vivo approaches. BX001 safety and tolerability was confirmed in a double-blind, randomized, vehicle-controlled cosmetic trial in which it was administered to subjects with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

Orally administered BX002 in first-in-human study was shown to be safe and well-tolerated in healthy adults. PK analysis showed high levels of viable phage in stool at sufficient levels to interact with target bacteria after passage through gastrointestinal tract.

Phage have high intrinsic safety and specificity and offer a promising treatment strategy to target Fusobacterium nucleatum associated with colorectal cancer. Here we demonstrate the ability to express a eukaryotic protein in an unconventional bacterial host using a sequence designed by computational tools.

S. aureus contributes to atopic dermatitis pathogenesis through the release of virulence factors that affect the keratinocytes and immune cells. A broad host range cocktail of natural phages targeting S. aureus was effective in reducing bacterial burden in-vitro and holds the potential to offer a novel therapeutic approach for atopic dermatitis.

Chronic respiratory infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Cystic Fibrosis patients. We provide in vitro results of a novel phage cocktail targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Using a conventional method and a new cloning approach to develop luminescent phages, we engineered two phages that specifically detect a disease-associated microbial strain. We performed phage sensitivity assays in liquid culture and in fecal matrices and tested the stability of spiked fecal samples stored under different conditions. Different reporter gene structures and genome insertion sites were required to successfully develop the two nluc-reporter phages.