Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Deferred
Paragraph: 50
Review status of phages in AMR plans and improve research funding prospects
Recommendation
Because phages have had relatively limited recent research funding from public sources, we recommend that the Government reviews the status of phages within its plans to tackle AMR. We also recommend more specifically that the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the UK Health Security Agency engage with the phage The antimicrobial potential of bacteriophages 57 researchers to improve prospects for phage related applications for research funding. Without proper support, the full potential of phages will not be realised within the Government’s AMR strategy.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government supports the principle of phage education but states that medical and veterinary training standards and curricula are the responsibility of independent statutory bodies (GMC, RCVS, and schools), thereby deflecting responsibility. It does not address the recommendation to review phages within AMR plans or NIHR/UKHSA engagement.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
50
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
The government is committed to exploring alternative therapies, including bacteriophages, to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The 2024 to 2029 AMR NAP is being developed in consultation with a range of stakeholders and will include research and innovation priorities. The NAP reflects the broad spectrum of interventions needed to tackle AMR. The government recognises the importance of research into non-traditional therapies that could tackle AMR and that phage therapy is one of the options that merits further exploration. UKHSA works with researchers both in the UK and internationally to support phage-related research, as described in written and oral evidence provided to the committee. This support aims to improve the chances of successful research funding and translation of phage into clinical use. Examples of the support offered includes, but is not limited to, the following current activities: 1. Access for researchers to bacterial strain panels, biofilm, and infection models for evaluation of the efficacy of phage and phage-cocktails against clinically relevant bacterial strains. Delivered through an Open Innovation AMR programme and previously supported by an NIHR infrastructure grant (NIHR200658), this enables researchers to work directly with UKHSA to evaluate new approaches and generate data to support grants and funding applications 2. Expertise and novel approaches for the rapid susceptibility profiling of clinical isolates against phage or phage cocktails, to support the development of phage cocktails, the provision of data to clinicians looking to use phage in clinical settings and, in the longer term, aiming to support patient recruitment into clinical trials 3. Studies exploring the synergy and antagonism of phage when used with 'standard of care' antibiotics and looking at the changes in antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence linked to emergence of phage-resistance in WHO priority pathogens 4. Working with others to develop new concepts of use and target product profiles (TPPs) for phage, to support their evaluation and implementation in the clinic 5. Working with others to understand the appropriate regulatory frameworks for the manufacture of phage for clinical use, aligned with the concepts of use for different patient groups. Evaluation of novel methods for GMP that could support future clinical implementation of phage In addition to these current activities, UKHSA will consider appropriate activity to develop further research partnerships in this area alongside the NIHR Health Protection Research Units (HPRUs).
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