UK Biotech Company Leading Fight to Cure E. coli

CAMBRIDGE, England, July 6, 2011 -

A Cambridge-based biotech company is leading the fight against
potentially fatal bacteria such as MRSA and E. coli,
attracting new funding to develop its pioneering treatment which
could play a vital role in treating outbreaks such as those in
France and Germany.

Phico Therapeutics has recently raised £1 million of further
funding to develop a range of medical products based on its novel
antibiotic technology,
SASPject^[TM], which is proving
effective in targeting bacteria resistant to conventional
antibiotics.

SASPject[TM] PT3.X deactivates bacteria and prevents the release
of toxins, halting the infection in its tracks. Unlike conventional
antibiotics, SASPject only affects the targeted bacteria, leaving
‘good’ bacteria unharmed.

SASPject[TM] PT3.X deactivates bacteria and prevents the release
of toxins, halting the infection in its tracks. Unlike conventional
antibiotics, SASPject only affects the targeted bacteria, leaving
‘good’ bacteria unharmed.

Dr Heather Fairhead is Chief Executive of Phico Therapeutics
which employs 19 staff at the Babraham Research Campus near
Cambridge:

“There is currently no effective antibiotic treatment for this
group of severe food-poisoning types of E. coli, and we are
now witnessing the tragic human and economic consequences of this
infection in Europe. It is vital that we continue to trial and
refine these new products and this latest round of funding is
extremely welcome,” she said.

The active agent in SASPject is an antibiotic protein called
SASP. It works by binding to bacterial DNA and deactivating it -–
switching off all primary functions in the bacterial cell and
stopping it from reproducing. Crucially, SASP can bind to any point
on the DNA, making it virtually impossible for bacteria to develop
resistance to it.

A type of virus known to target only bacteria is used to carry
the SASP gene through the body directly to the infection,
delivering it into the bacteria. The active protein, SASP, is then
produced by the bacteria themselves, deactivating the cells. The
unique SASPject delivery platform can be used to target selected
individual bacterial species or a range of multiple species.

Phico has already attracted £10 million from its private
investors to develop the first SASPject product,
SASPject^[TM] PT1.2, to fight MRSA.
Supported by a £1 million strategic award from the Wellcome Trust,
the company has successfully completed a clinical human trial that
showed the product is safe and well-tolerated in healthy human
volunteers. Phase II of this clinical trial to assess its efficacy
is scheduled for later this year.

“We hope the interest in the SASPject[TM]  project will
attract additional support from pharmaceutical companies and
venture capitalists to enable Phico to bring these ground-breaking
developments to the market over the next few years,” added Dr
Fairhead.

“We hope the interest in the SASPject[TM] project will attract
additional support from pharmaceutical companies and venture
capitalists to enable Phico to bring these ground-breaking
developments to the market over the next few years,” added Dr
Fairhead.

Contact
Dr Heather Fairhead
CEO
Phico Therapeutics Ltd, Babraham Research Campus, Babraham,
Cambridge, CB22 3AT
+44(0)1223-496755, href="mailto:info@phicotherapeutics.co.uk">info@phicotherapeutics.co.uk,
www.phicotherapeutics.co.uk

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