Intralytix, Inc. announced today that it has received a U.S. Army Phase I STTR contract supporting the development of a bacteriophage-based probiotic preparation for managing Shigella infections.
“Shigella species are major gastrointestinal (GI) tract pathogens of particular concern to the US Army, and they are a significant worldwide cause of diarrheal disease,” stated Alexander Sulakvelidze, Intralytix’s Chief Scientist and Principal Investigator for the contract. He added: “The bacterium has been estimated to cause annually about 90,000 food borne cases of shigellosis in the United States, and about 165 million cases worldwide. A vast majority of these cases occur in developing countries (including countries where US troops are stationed), causing approximately 1.1 million deaths annually. The award will enable Intralytix to examine using naturally occurring bacteriophages (or phages) – delivered as part of a probiotic diet – to reduce significantly the incidence and severity of shigellosis. Although currently a novel use of phage, we believe this application fits into the definition of “probiotic” adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO). We believe that phage-based probiotic may become invaluable for the future management of Shigella and other bacterial food borne illnesses.”