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PRESS RELEASE - 09/11/2009
Intralytix Receives a U.S. Army Phase I Grant
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. – September 11, 2009. Intralytix,
Inc. announced today that it has received a U.S. Army Phase I
STTR grant supporting the development of a phage-based product
for treating wounds infected with Acinetobacter baumannii.
“Infected wounds are one of the most significant challenges in
modern medicine – especially in view of the rapid emergence of
multiantibiotic-resistant bacteria,” stated Alexander
Sulakvelidze, Intralytix’s Vice-President for Research and
Development and Chief Scientist of the Company, and Principal
Investigator of the STTR grant. He added: “Wounds from
high-velocity gunshot, shrapnel and blunt trauma injuries, as
well as burns inflicted during combat operations, frequently get
infected with bacteria. This complicates their healing, often
necessitates repeated surgical interventions, and may lead to
amputation of a limb, or even death, of the injured soldier. A.
baumannii is one of the major culprits in that regard, and we
are pleased to be able to initiate studies using our
bacteriophage technology to develop safe and effective tools for
managing A. baumannii wound infections.”
"This grant increases the breadth of Intralytix’s portfolio of
phage-based products, and it demonstrates the U.S. Army’s
confidence in Intralytix’s leadership in developing
bacteriophage-based preparations for military and civilian
populations,” noted the company's CEO, John Woloszyn. He also
stated: "If the studies during our Phase I project are
successful – as we fully anticipate – they will provide a strong
basis for moving forward with Phase II grant support from the
Army, which will play a major role in bringing this exciting
technology and product closer to the marketplace. It will also
make this much-needed approach available where it is most
urgently needed, to help civilians and soldiers in various
combat zones, including Afghanistan and Iraq. In that regard, a
high incidence of A. baumannii infections among our troops in
Iraq prompted its nickname “Iraqibacter.” Mr. Woloszyn also
noted that Army grants have previously supported the development
of other phage-based products, including phage-based food
additives that protect food from E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and
Shigella.
Intralytix, Inc is a biotechnology company focused on using its
core bacteriophage/phage technology platform to improve human
health through the development and commercialization of
innovative products for food safety and human therapeutics.
For more information, contact John Woloszyn (410-625-0300 /
jwoloszyn@intralytix.com) or Dr. Alexander Sulakvelidze
(410-625-2533 /
asulakvelidze@intralytix.com).
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