A startup developing bacteriophage-based methods to combat cholera outbreaks has won the TropMed19 Pitch Competition in the United States. The winner received $10,000.

In a short presentation to healthcare and bioengineering experts, the startup's founder, Dr. Minmin Yen, explained that she and her colleagues are developing a phage-based drug to prevent cholera in those who have come into contact with infected individuals, primarily within households. This will help prevent the spread of the disease both within and outside households.

In 2017, Dr. Yen studied* the potential of cholera prevention using bacteriophages. She isolated three bacteriophage isolates from stool samples of cholera patients in Bangladesh. The cocktail she prepared from these phages protected mice and rabbits from cholera infection. M. Yen's team is currently developing an oral phage preparation that could be rapidly administered at the first sign of a cholera outbreak.

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The phage preparation should address the challenges associated with cholera vaccination: incomplete population coverage, the need for two doses, and a three-week gap between the second dose and the development of full immunity. In households, people begin to fall ill within two to three days after the first patient is detected. Animal studies have shown that the phage preparation provides protection against infection within a few hours of administration.

The development of the phage cocktail began with liquid dosage forms, but Dr. Yen also wants to create a tablet form for oral administration that would not require refrigeration and would be stable at elevated temperatures and humidity.

The company is also exploring the potential of bacteriophages to combat E. coli and Shigella (the causative agents of dysentery).

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* Yen M, Cairns LS & Camilli A. A cocktail of three virulent bacteriophages prevents Vibrio cholerae infection in animal models // Nature Communications, 2017, 8: 14187. doi:10.1038/ncomms14187