4 years ago

Phico Therapeutics Raises £7 Million to Develop Antibiotic Resistance Solutions

  • Phico Therapeutics, a Cambridge-based biotech company developing engineered phage technology for new antibiotics, has secured £7 million in funding

  • The round was led by BGF, with participation from existing investors

  • The funds will support the development of Phico's SASPject technology platform and its lead product, PT3.9, towards clinical trials

  • Phico's technology utilizes engineered bacterial viruses to deliver a gene that inactivates bacterial DNA, making resistance unlikely

  • The company is targeting key superbug threats, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli, which are increasingly resistant to conventional antibiotics.

      • ProblemHealthcare, Biotechnology

      "making available effective treatment options against drug-resistant superbugs, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli, which have few existing treatment options and are considered serious threats to human health."

      Solution

      "Phico's SASPject platform technology uses engineered bacterial viruses, or phages, to deliver a gene encoding a unique antibacterial small acid-soluble spore protein (SASP) that inactivates bacterial DNA, making resistance unlikely to develop, providing an alternative to conventional antibiotic treatments."

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