Targeted filamentous bacteriophages as therapeutic agents

The Technology

Targeted drug-carrying filamentous bacteriophages have been developed as a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of infectious disease and cancer. The phages are genetically-modified to display an antibody or a targeting peptide as a targeting moiety on their surface and are used to deliver a cytotoxic drug to the target. The drug is linked to the phages by means of chemical conjugation through a labile linker subject to controlled release. In the conjugated state the cytotoxic drug is devoid of cytotoxic activity and is activated following its dissociation from the targeting phage at the target site in a temporally and spatially controlled manner. 

Data-to date

Anti-bacterial efficacy studies using chloramphenicol linked (ester-bond or aminoglycosides) to targeted phages have demonstrated bactericidal effect (>30000 drug molecules per phage).

Anti-cancer efficacy studies using hygromycin and doxorubicin linked to anti ErbB2 IgG expressing phages have demonstrated inhibition of growth in ErbB2 and EGFR over-expressing tumor cells

Preliminary in vivo safety studies (toxicity and immunogenicity) have demonstrated  that IV or IP injection of drug-carrying phages are non-toxic and non-immunogenic up to 1011 phages /single dose. 

Patent status

US 7,985,573

EP WO 2006/095345

Project manager

Adi Elkeles
BD Manager

Project researchers

Itai Benhar
T.A.U Tel Aviv University, Life Sciences
Molecular Microbiology-Biotechnology

Iftach Yacoby
T.A.U Tel Aviv University, Life Sciences
Molecular Microbiology-Biotechnology