This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (CFDA 93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) provides $300,000 to Via Therapeutics, LLC, a for-profit company in Austin, Texas, to develop a new inhaled dry powder formulation of mycobacteriophages for treating tuberculosis (TB).
The key objectives are to: 1) Develop a stable, aerosolizable dry powder containing D29 mycobacteriophages encapsulated in polymeric microparticles to enhance targeted delivery to the lungs; 2) Evaluate the ability of the encapsulated phages to kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis in bronchoalveolar fluid and macrophages; and 3) Assess the pharmacokinetics of the inhaled phage powder in a mouse model. This project leverages Via Therapeutics' thin-film freeze-drying technology to create a respirable phage powder that can effectively reach and eliminate intracellular and extracellular TB bacteria. The ultimate goal is to develop a new phage-based inhalation therapy that overcomes limitations of current antibiotic-based TB treatments.
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