Bacteriophage (virus) therapy for drug-resistant Klebsiella infections
Official title: Optimization, Manufacturing and Testing of a Lead Therapeutic Bacteriophage Cocktail for the Treatment of Antibiotic-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Infections
Funded at J. Craig Venter Institute, INC. · NIH-11122247 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A team is developing a five-phage mix to treat wound and lung infections caused by antibiotic‑resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | J. Craig Venter Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | July 21, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,068,054 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI176546-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11122247 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for future trials would be patients with wound or lung infections confirmed to be caused by antibiotic‑resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, especially those not improving with standard antibiotics.
✕Less likely to help
People with infections caused by other bacteria or by Klebsiella strains that the five‑phage cocktail does not target are unlikely to benefit from this specific therapy.
What this research studies
If I had a drug‑resistant Klebsiella wound or lung infection, researchers are optimizing a five‑phage therapeutic cocktail designed to kill those bacteria. They are improving the product, running laboratory and animal tests, and completing the safety and manufacturing steps needed before asking the FDA to allow a first‑in‑human (Phase 1) trial. The work is done through a partnership between the J. Craig Venter Institute, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, combining genomics, mouse models, and cGMP production experience. This prepares the therapy for formal clinical testing in people once regulatory requirements are met.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could become a new treatment option for people with antibiotic‑resistant Klebsiella wound or pulmonary infections who have few antibiotic choices.
How similar studies have gone: Phage therapy has shown promise in compassionate‑use cases and early‑phase studies, but larger controlled clinical trials are still limited.
Where this research is happening
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J. Craig Venter Institute, INC.
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fouts, Derrick E — J. Craig Venter Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Fouts, Derrick E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.