Emily’s Entourage Awards $220,000 to Advance the Development of Phage Therapies as a Means to Treat Multidrug-Resistant NTM Infections

The project seeks to expand the use of phage therapy as a treatment for cystic fibrosis patients with nontuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM) infections

Lower Merion, PA — Nov. 2, 2022 — Emily’s Entourage (EE), an innovative 501(c)3 foundation that accelerates research for new treatments and a cure for the final 10% of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), including those with nonsense mutations, today announced it has awarded $220,000 in funding to Graham F. Hatfull, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh to support his research on the use of bacteriophages — viruses that infect bacteria — as a treatment for nontuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM) infections.

Graham F. Hatfull, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, is driving research that aims to explore bacteriophages, also known as phages, as a potential treatment option for people with NTM infections.

Pulmonary bacterial infections, specifically drug-resistant infections, drive disease progression and mortality in people with CF. Among the worst are NTM infections, which are often resistant to available antibiotics and can disqualify individuals from lung transplantation at many transplant centers. In addition, these infections can be particularly dire in post-transplant patients taking immunosuppressive drugs.

Dr. Hatfull’s project, titled, “Bacteriophage treatment of NTM infections in cystic fibrosis,” aims to explore bacteriophages, also known as phages, as a potential treatment option for people with NTM infections. Phages efficiently kill their bacterial hosts, have strong safety profiles, and can be used in conjunction with antibiotics with the possibility of additive, or even synergistic, benefits. 

“Non-traditional approaches such as phage therapy add to our armamentarium of approaches to fight multidrug-resistant pathogens such as NTM in people with CF who have few options to fight these deadly infections,” said Chandra Ghose, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Emily’s Entourage. “The importance of funding this grant extends beyond the CF space as cases of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections keep increasing year to year, necessitating an all-hands-on-deck approach.”

Dr. Hatfull’s team will focus on identifying, preparing, and providing phages for compassionate use in the treatment of NTM infections in people with CF who have exhausted other treatment options. Their experiences will then be used to optimize phage screening, preparation, and stability. 

“This is a tremendous opportunity to advance the therapeutic use of bacteriophages for treating NTM infections in people with CF,” said Dr. Hatfull, professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. “Not only can this assist people with CF who have no alternative options with potential clinical benefits, but it will help to provide the insights needed to establish blinded clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of phage therapies, and the numerous parameters influencing their use.”

The work will build on prior preliminary studies showing favorable outcomes of phage treatments in many people with CF.

Learn more about the grants Emily’s Entourage has funded at www.emilysentourage.org/awarded-grants. 

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About Emily’s Entourage

Emily’s Entourage is an innovative 501(c)3 that accelerates research for new treatments and a cure for individuals in the final 10% of the cystic fibrosis (CF) population that does not benefit from currently available mutation-targeted therapies, including those with nonsense mutations of CF. Since 2011, Emily’s Entourage has awarded millions of dollars in research grants, launched a CF gene therapy company, developed a patient registry and clinical trial matchmaking program to accelerate clinical trial recruitment, and led worldwide efforts to drive high-impact research and drug development.  The organization has been featured in national media, including the New York Times, STAT, CNN, People, and more. Learn more at emilysentourage.org. 

Media Contact
Ashling Knight
Director of Marketing and Communications
Emily’s Entourage
ashling@emilysentourage.org