Intralytix Receives Follow-On Army Contract To Develop A Phage-Based Probiotic To Manage Shigella Infections

PRESS RELEASE - 04/11/2011

Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. - April 11, 2011 - Intralytix, Inc. announced today that it has received a U.S. Army Phase II STTR contract supporting the further development of a bacteriophage-based probiotic preparation for managing Shigella infections.

"Shigella species are major gastrointestinal (GI) tract pathogens of particular concern to the US Army, and they are a significant worldwide cause of diarrheal disease," stated Alexander Sulakvelidze, Intralytix's Chief Scientist and Principal Investigator for the contract. He added: "The bacterium has been estimated to cause annually about 90,000 food borne cases of shigellosis in the United States, and about 165 million cases worldwide. A vast majority of these cases occur in developing countries (including countries where US troops are stationed), causing approximately 1.1 million deaths annually. The award will enable Intralytix to continue and expand its research and development effort on using naturally occurring bacteriophages (or phages) to reduce significantly the incidence and severity of shigellosis."

Intralytix's CEO, John Woloszyn, further added: "In addition to supporting the continued development of an exciting new product, we believe that the data obtained during the phase II grant will enable us to develop a completely new line of phage-based products for Intralytix's portfolio." He added that: "Using bacteriophages as probiotic/nutraceutical products is a novel idea, and our company holds a patent for using phages to reduce bacterial colonization, including colonization of the GI and nasal tracts." Mr. Woloszyn also noted that studies performed during the company's previous Phase I STTR were successful and led to this Phase II grant support from the Army. Mr. Woloszyn further noted that Army grants have previously supported and continue to support Intralytix's development of other phage-based products, including food additives that protect various foods from contamination by E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Shigella. Finally, he noted that, while the U.S. Army's Research Office supports the project, such support does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the U.S. Government, and no official endorsement should be inferred.

Intralytix, Inc is a biotechnology company focused on using its core bacteriophage/phage technology platform to improve human health through the development and commercialization of innovative products for food safety, veterinary applications and human therapeutics.

For more information, contact Mr. John Woloszyn (410-625-3813 or jwoloszyn@intralytix.com) or Dr. Alexander Sulakvelidze (410-625-2533 or asulakvelidze@intralytix.com).