Phage Therapy for Antibiotic-Resistant Infections Stops Many Amputations

Business Wire, April 5, 2005

LOS ALTOS, Calif. -- First Bacteriophage Therapy Clinic in the Western World Now Open

Phage International Inc. announced today that Phage Therapy Center, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, is expanding operations with the opening of Phage Therapy Center, Mexico. Patients with infected wounds that are resistant to antibiotics may now travel to PTC's new clinic in Tijuana, Mexico.

Infected wounds not responding to antibiotics often result in limb amputations. In the United States, lower limb amputations for those with diabetic foot ulcers total approximately 65,000 amputations each year, and those with difficult-to-treat infected wounds number in the 100s of thousands.

Phages or bacteriophage are bacteria-specific viruses that invade the bacterial cells. Lytic phages disrupt bacterial metabolism and cause the bacterium to lyse. Like antibiotics, lytic phages have remarkable antibacterial activity.

Potential patients may visit www.phagetherapycenter.com to find out more details.

"PTC treats antibiotic-resistant infections and has saved people from amputation. Our clinic specializes in situations where bacteriophage therapy tends to be superior to standard antibiotic therapy in the US and Western Europe. Conditions treated include: Diabetic foot ulcers, Tropic ulcers, Osteomyelitis, Bedsores, Burns, Gingivitis, Parodontosis, Stomatitis, and drug-resistant infections such as MRSA, VRE, and others. We are proud to be able to bring Phage Therapy technology to Latin America. Bacteriophage technology has proven to be successful in dealing with even the most difficult of infections," said Vakhtang Beridze, PTC Georgia.

"We are delighted to be involved in helping to commercialize phage technology. The opening of Phage Therapy Center Mexico is the first step in making Phage therapy more widely available and is the first clinic to provide Phage therapy in the Western World. We will soon be providing training programs for western physicians and RN wound care specialists," said Ronald Goossens, President of PII.

Phage Therapy Center Georgia, a wholly owned subsidiary of PII, is a privately held medical clinic offering bacteriophage therapy to patients from across the globe.

Phage International, Inc. -- Los Altos, CA, a primary enabler of phage therapy, was formed in July of 2004. Its focus is bacteriophage human therapy to combat drug-resistant pathogens as well as to provide cost effective treatment for non-resistant pathogens. The company is in the process of opening a number of clinics.

www.phageinternational.com