Select Committee · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

The antimicrobial potential of bacteriophages

Status: Closed Opened: 9 Nov 2022 Closed: 28 May 2024 23 recommendations 10 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry is informed by the successful pitch to the Committee’s My Science inquiry. The World Health Organisation has warned that antibiotic resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today, while the Government’s Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance, Dame Sally Davies, has called AMR the ‘silent pandemic’. …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - The antimicrobial potential of bacteriophages HC 328 3 Jan 2024 33 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
9 Recommendation First Report - The antimicrobial potent… Rejected

Report annually on 'One Health' progress for phage technologies and therapies

The Government, the World Health Organisation and a number of the witnesses we heard from have highlighted the importance of a “One Health” approach to tackling AMR across sectors including human and animal health, the food supply chain, and the environment. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and …

Government response. The government rejects the recommendation to produce annual reports exclusively focused on phages, stating it is reluctant to prioritize any one technology, but will regularly review progress on its 5-year AMR National Action Plan, which will include phages.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
14 Recommendation First Report - The antimicrobial potent… Rejected

Good Manufacturing Practice standards remain essential for high-quality phage production and biobanks

The set of consensus high standards for pharmaceutical production, known as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), should continue to be required in the UK for high quality phages manufactured for generic products targeting the most common bacterial pathogens. It should also underpin the production of phage biobanks to be accessed at …

Government response. The government states that GMP requirements remain appropriate for named-patient use, thereby rejecting the committee's suggestion for non-GMP phages for compassionate use. It notes MHRA guidance for licensed products is in development.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
20 Recommendation First Report - The antimicrobial potent… Rejected

Publish MHRA guidance on regulatory pathways for GMP and non-GMP phage development

We welcome the willingness of the MHRA to adopt a flexible approach to accelerating the authorisation of the use of phage therapies and its offer to work with phage innovators to support their development. However, the MHRA should provide clarity on how different pathways for developing phages, such as the …

Government response. The government rejects the premise of regulating non-GMP phages, stating all medicines must be manufactured to GMP standards. It clarifies that specific developmental pathways are not needed for compassionate use phages and that MHRA guidance under development will provide information …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
29 Recommendation First Report - The antimicrobial potent… Rejected

Compassionate use of UK-produced non-GMP phages should be permitted for last resort cases

We believe that the UK should allow the compassionate use of non-GMP phages produced in the UK for last resort medical cases where other medical approaches have failed or are failing. This would bring the UK in line with several EU countries, and the USA and Australia. The UK can …

Government response. The government rejects allowing non-GMP phages for compassionate use, stating all medicines must meet GMP standards, and defers the production of a monograph until MHRA gains experience from developing new advisory guidance.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
32 Recommendation First Report - The antimicrobial potent… Rejected

Government and agency statements on phage role in AMR lack clarity.

If the antimicrobial use of phages is to move beyond ad hoc compassionate cases, the Government and its agencies should reflect on what role they are to play in the fight against AMR. At the moment, phages are referred to in the AMR strategy, as one approach amongst others. However, …

Government response. The government rejects producing a further definitive statement on phages or a roadmap at this time, stating it will continue to monitor developments and include phages as one of many research areas in the upcoming AMR national action plan.
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
33 Recommendation First Report - The antimicrobial potent… Rejected

Produce clear Government statement on phages and comprehensive support plan for AMR.

We recommend that the Government produces a clear statement on its assessment of phages. If it concludes that phages are to play a significant role in fighting AMR, it should produce a comprehensive plan as to how they will be supported and how the necessary infrastructure and regulatory landscape will …

Government response. The government rejects producing a new clear statement on phages or a comprehensive plan for their support and regulatory landscape at this time. It states that existing evidence is promising but requires more robust data, and that phages will be …
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
26 Apr 2023 Dr Jonathan Pearce · Medical Research Council, Dr Marc Bailey · Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Dr Morwenna Carrington · Department for Health and Social Care, Dr Tim Jinks · Wellcome Trust, Professor Isabel Oliver · UK Health Security Agency, Professor Mark Sutton · UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Richard Hebdon · Innovate UK View ↗
15 Mar 2023 Dr Hans Petter Kleppen · ACD Pharma, Dr Jean-Paul Pirnay · Queen Astrid Military Hospital, Brussels, Dr Mzia Kutateladze · George Eliava Institute of Bacteriophage, Microbiology and Virology, Greg Merril · Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, Naomi Zak · BiomX, Professor Jon Iredell · The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Professor Robert Schooley · UC San Diego School of Medicine View ↗
8 Feb 2023 Dr James Soothill · Great Ormond Street Hospital Laboratory Medicine, Dr Josh Jones · NHS Tayside, Mr David Browning · Fixed Phage LTD, Ms Stephanie Lesage · Oxford Silk Phage Technologies Ltd, Professor Cath Rees · University of Nottingham, Professor Joanne M. Santini · University College London, Professor Martha Clokie · University of Leicester View ↗