UC San Diego’s Clinical Trial for Phage Therapy

UC San Diego announced a landmark clinical trial focused on using bacteriophages to treat antibiotic-resistant infections, with a particular emphasis on infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus. This trial is part of ongoing efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance, an escalating global health crisis. The trial stems from a widely publicized case in 2017 where phages were successfully used to save a patient from a life-threatening Staphylococcus infection that no antibiotics could treat.

The clinical trial aims to investigate whether phage therapy can be an effective and safe alternative for infections that are unresponsive to conventional antibiotics. Researchers will monitor patients for efficacy, side effects, and long-term outcomes, potentially paving the way for FDA approval. Given the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospital settings, a successful outcome from this trial could revolutionize infection management​.