Dr. Steven Theriault reports

CYTOPHAGE PROVIDES BACTERIOPHAGES FOR LANDMARK TREATMENT OF JOINT REPLACEMENT INFECTION IN CANADA

Cytophage Technologies Ltd. is collaborating with infectious diseases clinician-scientist, Dr. Marisa Azad (principal investigator), at the Ottawa Hospital to deliver -- for the first time in Canada -- bacteriophage (phage) therapy to a patient suffering from a severe hardware-associated bone and joint infection, with approval from Health Canada and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

The applicability of phage therapy to prosthetic joint infections has been a core area of research for Cytophage. In late 2023, Cytophage was contacted by Dr. Azad, who had a patient suffering from an antibiotic-resistant infection associated with a prosthetic joint replacement. A treatment plan was developed and approved by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Health Canada to be delivered as a single-subject clinical trial (N of one). This allows for an individual patient to be the sole unit of observation in a study investigating the efficacy of a course of treatment when all other treatments have failed. The patient received the first dose this week and will continue to receive treatments for two weeks.

The treatment plan includes phages that have been exclusively provided by Cytophage and have been rigorously tested for their ability to destroy MRSE (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis) bacteria.

"This is an important breakthrough for people who suffer from drug-resistant prosthetic joint infections in that a new treatment regime is being introduced that will target these difficult to treat infections," said Dr. Steven Theriault, chief executive officer of Cytophage. "We hope to make a significant difference in the quality of life of patients who are living with this type of infection."

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), over 130,000 hip and knee replacement surgeries are performed every year in Canada. Although effective in restoring function and improving quality of life, about 3 per cent of surgeries may require additional intervention in the form of treatment of antibiotic-resistant prosthetic joint infections, a devastating complication that, if left unresolved, can lead to amputation and even death.

Cytophage acknowledges the tremendous work of Dr. Azad and the team at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. The company is optimistic that this will be the first of a series of N of one studies for prosthetic joint infections as well as also other difficult-to-treat infections.

Dr. Theriault noted, "While Cytophage's current focus remains on animal health and improving food security, the use of our phages in the treatment of human infections reinforces the potential of bacteriophages as an efficient alternative and/or complement to antibiotics."

Cytophage has entered into a marketing and market awareness agreement with the CanaCom Group.

Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the services are to be provided over a 12-month period, commencing on Feb. 12, 2024, for a fee of $90,000, plus applicable taxes. CanaCom is a full-service marketing agency based in Toronto, Ont. CanaCom provides digital marketing awareness through advertising through its fully owned platform, theDeepDive.ca, which includes both video and written content coverage of Canadian small-cap stories. CanaCom holds approximately 60,316 of the company's outstanding common shares and is otherwise an arm's-length service provider to the company. CanaCom has its principal place of business at 1836 Scarth St., Regina, Sask., S4P 3G3. It can be contacted at jay@thedeepdive.ca or by telephone at 306-993-4791.

About Cytophage Technologies Ltd.

Cytophage is a pioneering biotechnology company dedicated to bacteriophage research, product development and commercialization. Committed to addressing the global challenge of antibiotic resistance, Cytophage advances innovative products that harness the power of bacteriophages to combat bacterial infections affecting human health, animal health and food security.

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