Bacteriophages Therapy Market Analysis

Bacteriophage Therapy Market – Market Insights

Bacteriophages have been researched as a new alternative to antibiotics. In this therapy, the viruses are used to inject their genetic material into bacteria and use their host machinery to multiply themselves. This phage therapy is used to treat or to prevent bacterial infections in patients’ body.

Figure 1. Global Bacteriophage Therapy Market

Source: Coherent Market Insights Analysis (2020)

Rising adoption of inorganic growth strategies by market players is expected to drive growth of the bacteriophage therapy market

Bacteriophage therapy market is expected to witness significant growth owing to increasing merger and acquisition activities by market players to strengthen their pipeline of phage therapy candidates and also to enhance their research and development capabilities. For instance, in January 2019, Locus Biosciences Inc. entered into an exclusive collaboration and license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson) to develop, manufacture, and commercialize CRISPR-Cas3-enhanced bacteriophage (crPhage) products targeting two key bacterial pathogens for the treatment of respiratory tract infection, and other related infections. Under this agreement, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. received license for CRISPR-Cas3-enhanced bacteriophage product from Locus Biosciences Inc. For this, Locus will receive US$ 20 million as initial payment which is expected to reach US$ 798 million from future commercialization and sales of the product.

Moreover, manufacturers are also collaborating with research institutes and hospitals in order to conduct clinical trials to evaluate phage therapy candidates, which is expected to further drive growth of the market. For instance, in May 2019, Intralytix, Inc., in collaboration with Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, initiated Phase 1/2 clinical trial to evaluate safety and efficacy of Ecoactive (Bacteriophage preparation) on intestinal adherent invasive e-coli in patients with inactive Crohn's disease.

Moreover, rising prevalence of drug resistant infections is expected to drive demand for bacteriophage therapy in the near future, which is expected to drive the market growth. For instance, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), in 2015, the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in streptococcus pneumoniae was found to be high in children in Thailand. According to the NCBI, prevalence of multi-drug resistance S. pneumoniae (MDR-SP) was found to be 31.6%.

Bacteriophage Therapy Market - Regional Analysis

North America is expected to hold a dominant position in the global bacteriophage therapy market in 2018, owing to partnerships and acquisitions by players operating in the North America. For instance, in December 2018, Adaptive Phage Therapeutics (APT) entered into a collaboration agreement with the Paul Turner Lab at Yale University, to manufacture and supply therapeutic bacteriophage (phage) for use in clinical trials. Under the terms of agreement, APT will manufacture therapeutic phages as per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards, and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) conditions. Similarly, in November 2016, ContraFect Corporation, a U.S. based company, entered into a collaborative research agreement with Rockefeller University (Rockefeller) to identify new lysin therapeutic candidates targeting Gram-negative bacteria.

Furthermore, increasing antimicrobial resistance among the populace is creating growth opportunities for manufacturers to expand their portfolio of phage therapy products which is expected to create a conducive environment for the growth of this market in the Asia Pacific region. For instance, in June 2019, the Vitalis Phage Therapy programme was launched in India. Vitalis Phage Therapy was developed by the Eliava Institute of Bacteriophages, Microbiology and Virology in Tbilisi, Georgia for patients from India. The Vitalis Phage Therapy programme provided an opportunity for the patients in India who want to undergo phage therapy at Eliava Phage Therapy Center (EPTC) in Georgia.

Key Players

Major players operating in the global bacteriophage therapy market are Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eliava Biopreparations Ltd., Pherecydes Pharma, Intralytix, Inc., Phagelux Inc., Nextbiotics, InnoPhage, Ltd, Locus Biosciences, Inc., TechnoPhage, Eligo Bioscience SA, Phagomed Biopharma GmbH., PhagePro, Inc., Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, Inc., EnBiotix, Inc., Intodeworld, Inc., BiomX Ltd., Phi Therapeutics, Fixed-phage Ltd., Micreos BV, and ContraFect Corporation.