Multi-resistant germs pose a consistent threat to our healthcare system. For example, a recent study published in The Lancet shows that approximately 4.95 million of the worldwide deaths in 2019 may be linked to antibiotic-resistant germs (1). It is estimated that this number could increase to approximately 10 million by the year 2050 (2).

The current evolutionary resistance of these germs to antibiotics means that developing alternative forms of therapy is becoming more important than ever. One alternative could be bacteriophages. Unlike antibiotics, bacteriophages are not active ingredients but active viruses that only infect bacteria—which therefore makes their approval as a drug in Germany and the EU more difficult. Bacteriophages are so specifically adapted to their host bacteria that they do not even attack closely related bacterial strains. Because of how they work, bacteriophages are considered self-limiting and have very few side effects (3).

Phage therapy has existed for over 100 years, but it has had difficulty becoming an established, useful alternative to antibiotics because of its complexity. In the wake of increasing antibiotic resistance, research into the bacteriophage’s mode of action, diagnostics, and ultimately, their translation into the clinic has become enormously important for bringing them to market in a timely manner as an alternative, drug-based therapy. By this time, there are numerous groups in Germany and Europe with different research focuses that should be considered more closely and examined for innovative approaches.