A Way Forward for Phage Therapy in the United States

Abstract

Phage therapy is a potentially life-saving treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections, but it is not commonly available in the United States as it is in other parts of the world. Phage therapy is a historical practice in the former Soviet Union and Russia to treat bacterial infections. Since phages are naturally present in the environment, only synthetic bacteriophage that has been genetically engineered can be patented by pharmaceutical companies which makes it a difficult practice to integrate into clinical care in the United States. However, the growing costs of antibiotic resistance and recent advances in biotechnology are prompting US government agencies to partner with industry to support the development synthetic phage to combat antibiotic resistance. Although very few phages therapy clinical trials have progressed past phase two, there is incredible potential for further development. This review evaluates the outlook of phage therapy in the U.S. by evaluating the risk of widespread phage resistance against its potential benefits as effective products that target bacterial resistance mechanisms and increase antibiotic susceptibility.