CARB-X Awards $1.1 Million to Phiogen for Novel Bacteriophage Treatment Against Drug-Resistant E. coli Bloodstream Infections

Key Insights

• CARB-X has awarded $1.1 million to Houston-based biotechnology company Phiogen to advance PHI-BI-01, a novel bacteriophage-based treatment for extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli bloodstream infections.
• The innovative therapy uses bacteria-killing viruses to eliminate drug-resistant E. coli strains in the bloodstream while activating immune responses to prevent infection recurrence.
• PHI-BI-01 represents a potential breakthrough in addressing the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant E. coli infections, which have become increasingly frequent causes of invasive bloodstream infections.

CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) announced today that it is awarding $1.1 million to biotechnology company Phiogen to advance its novel bacteriophage-based treatment and preventive for extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) bloodstream infections.

The funding will enable Houston-based Phiogen to evaluate PHI-BI-01, a product that uses bacteriophages—bacteria-killing viruses—to eliminate ExPEC in the bloodstream and activate an immune response that helps prevent recurrence. ExPEC strains, which typically originate in the gastrointestinal system or urinary tract, have become a more frequent cause of invasive bloodstream infections and have grown increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Innovative Phage-Based Platform Technology

PHI-BI-01 is among the phage-based drug candidates delivered through Phiogen's discovery platform, which uses a bacteriophage mass-capturing device, high-throughput screening, and directed evolution to develop phages with antibacterial and immunogenic properties.

"Our team's discovery redefines what phages can do, opening the door to a new class of live biologics capable of addressing both acute infection and recurrent disease," Phiogen CEO Amanda Burkardt, MBA, said in a CARB-X press release.

Development Path and Clinical Advancement

Phiogen will work with CARB-X to explore PHB-BI-01's immunogenic properties, generate pre-clinical data, and advance the project to first-in-human clinical trials. The dual-action approach of the therapy—both treating active infections and preventing recurrence through immune activation—represents a novel strategy in combating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

"PHIOGEN offers a potential novel approach to the prevention of invasive disease caused by E. coli," said CARB-X research and development director Erin Duffy, PhD. "We are excited to evaluate the immune harnessing potential of this project."

CARB-X's Ongoing Mission

The award is the latest from CARB-X's 2024 funding round. Since its founding in 2016, CARB-X has funded 116 early-stage R&D products designed to prevent, treat, and diagnose antibiotic-resistant infections, highlighting the organization's continued commitment to addressing the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance.