SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AmpliPhi Biosciences Corporation (NYSE American: APHB), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of therapies for antibiotic-resistant infections using bacteriophage technology, today announced the publication of preclinical data demonstrating the activity of AB-PA01 in reducing biofilms. The paper, titled “Activity of Bacteriophages in Removing Biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from Chronic Rhinosinusitis Patients,” was published on September 22, 2017, in the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology and can be found here.
“We’re excited to publish these findings, which continue to show the potential of phage therapy to target infection-associated biofilms and multidrug-resistant bacteria,” said Paul C. Grint, M.D., CEO of AmpliPhi Biosciences. “Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are prevalent among chronic rhinosinusitis sufferers and many strains form difficult-to-penetrate biofilms, leading to treatment failure. In this in vitro study, a single dose of AB-PA01 significantly reduced biofilms. Furthermore, AB-PA01 was shown to be active against 89% of the P. aeruginosa isolates tested. These preclinical data further support the promise of AmpliPhi’s technology to develop novel, targeted antibacterial therapies in an age of increasing antibiotic resistance.”
The research assessed the activity of AB-PA01, AmpliPhi’s drug candidate that contains four specific bacteriophages (referred to as CT-PA in the paper), in eradicating biofilms of ex vivo P. aeruginosa isolates from chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients. P. aeruginosa isolates from CRS patients with and without cystic fibrosis (CF) collected across three continents were multi-locus sequence typed and tested for antibiotic resistance. Biofilms grown in vitro were treated with AB-PA01 and biofilm biomass was measured after 24 and 48 hours, using a crystal violet assay. The isolates included 44 strain types. Bacteriophage treatment significantly reduced biofilm biomass at both 24 and 48 hours post-treatment (p < 0.0001), regardless of CF status or antibiotic resistance profiles.
About Bacteriophages
Bacteriophages, or more simply “phages,” are the natural predators of bacteria and are thought to be the most abundant life form on earth. Phages have evolved an incredible diversity of strains that typically prey upon just a few closely related strains or species of bacteria, enabling phage therapies to precisely target pathogenic bacteria while sparing the beneficial microbiota. Phages can infect and kill bacteria, whether they are antibiotic-resistant or not, and even when they have formed protective biofilms.
About AmpliPhi Biosciences
AmpliPhi Biosciences Corporation is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on treating antibiotic-resistant infections using its proprietary bacteriophage-based technology. AmpliPhi’s lead product candidates target multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are included on the WHO’s 2017 Priority Pathogens List. Phage therapeutics are uniquely positioned to address the threat of antibiotic-resistance as they can be precisely targeted to kill select bacteria, have a differentiated mechanism of action, can penetrate and disrupt biofilms (a common bacterial defense mechanism against antibiotics), are potentially synergistic with antibiotics and have been shown to restore antibiotic sensitivity to drug-resistant bacteria. For more information visit www.ampliphibio.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation: statements about the potential benefits of phage therapy and the potential use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections, including infections that do not respond to antibiotics or are associated with biofilms. Words such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “may,” “goal,” “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements necessarily contain these identifying words. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements are risks and uncertainties associated with AmpliPhi’s business and financial condition and the other risks and uncertainties described in AmpliPhi’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the SEC, and AmpliPhi’s subsequent filings with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and AmpliPhi undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.