Bacteriophages

Phage Rx comprises a team of professionals who care about the global threat posed by anti-microbial resistance caused in part by the widespread use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.

We have all become aware that Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is on the rise, meaning that our current antibiotics are losing (or have lost!) their effectiveness to combat different bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistant bacterial strains such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus – MRSA – ESBL-producing bacterial strains (Klebsiella, E.coli, Acinetobacter), and C. difficile are becoming major sources of dangerous hospital acquired infections (HAIs).

The overuse and misuse of antibiotics are contributing greatly to bacteria evolving to become antibiotic resistant. Even when used solely to treat infections, doctors tend to overprescribe antibiotics. But mankind also is accelerating this process as antibiotics are often not even being used to combat infection but instead are being used to promote growth in livestock. The percentage of bacterial strains resistant to an antibiotic is increasing over time and the effectiveness of our antibiotics are declining.

As a consequence, just in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that two million people become ill from drug-resistant bacteria each year, with over 23,000 deaths resulting from those infections. Globally, drug resistance (including all antimicrobials) kills over 700,000 people each year, a number predicted to rise to 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if not addressed soon.

While bacteriophages are not the only solution to antimicrobial resistance, they will be one arrow in the quiver of human responses to this global problem.