CURE · Project

Phage Therapy Platform to Rebalance Lung Bacteria and Treat Asthma

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Your lungs have a community of bacteria living in them — like a garden. In people with asthma, that garden is overgrown with the wrong plants. The CURE team discovered that natural bacterial viruses called phages, which normally keep bad bacteria in check, are missing in asthmatic lungs. They built a phage biobank and computer models to figure out exactly which mix of phages could restore the balance, essentially weeding the garden back to health instead of just treating symptoms with inhalers.

By the numbers

EUR 2,971,750

EU funding for phage therapy platform development

consortium partners across 6 countries

total project deliverables produced

SME partners in the consortium

CURE phage biobank created

The business problem

What needed solving

Asthma affects hundreds of millions of people globally, yet current treatments only manage symptoms — inhalers and steroids do not address the underlying cause. Most acute asthma attacks follow respiratory infections, and the lung microbiome in asthma patients is characteristically imbalanced. There is no existing therapy that corrects this microbial imbalance to prevent attacks at their source.

The solution

What was built

The project built a CURE phage biobank containing characterized bacteriophages, a predictive model for virus-bacterial interactions in the airways, and an in-vitro host-microbe-phage interface system for testing interventions. They also developed phage preparations as candidates for future clinical testing in asthma, delivered across 21 total project deliverables.

Audience

Who needs this

Pharma companies developing respiratory biologics beyond inhalersMicrobiome therapeutics startups seeking validated phage platformsDiagnostics companies building respiratory microbiome profiling toolsCDMOs looking to enter phage therapy manufacturingBiotech investors scouting pre-clinical respiratory microbiome assets

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Pharmaceutical & Biotherapeutics

enterprise

Target: Pharma companies developing respiratory biologics or microbiome-based therapies

If you are a pharma company investing in respiratory treatments and looking beyond inhalers and steroids — this project developed a phage biobank and predictive models for designing phage cocktails that target the dysbiotic airway microbiome. With 10 consortium partners across 6 countries validating the approach, the platform offers a new therapeutic modality for asthma that addresses root causes rather than symptoms.

Microbiome Diagnostics

mid-size

Target: Diagnostics companies developing respiratory microbiome profiling tools

If you are a diagnostics company building microbiome testing platforms — this project produced validated data on how the respiratory microbiome differs in asthma patients, specifically showing reduced phage abundance as a biomarker. Their in-vitro host-microbe-phage interface system and predictive model could inform companion diagnostics that identify which patients would benefit from phage-based interventions.

Contract Phage Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: CDMOs or biotech firms specializing in phage production and formulation

If you are a contract manufacturer looking to expand into phage therapy production — this project developed phage preparations as candidates for clinical testing in asthma, along with a curated phage biobank. As phage therapy gains regulatory traction in Europe, the CURE platform provides characterized phage strains and formulation know-how ready for GMP scale-up partnerships.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or access this phage therapy platform?

Based on available project data, no specific licensing terms or pricing are published. The project was funded with EUR 2,971,750 in EU contribution under FET Open, indicating early-stage research. Licensing would need to be negotiated directly with the consortium coordinator at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Can this be scaled to industrial phage production?

The project developed phage preparations described as candidates for clinical testing, and built a CURE phage biobank. However, these are research-grade outputs — scaling to GMP-compliant industrial production would require additional development and regulatory work beyond what the project delivered.

What is the IP situation — who owns the results?

As an EU-funded RIA project with 10 partners across 6 countries, IP ownership typically follows the Horizon 2020 grant agreement where each partner owns the results they generate. Key IP likely sits with the coordinator (University of Athens) and the 3 SME partners. Specific licensing arrangements would need direct discussion with the consortium.

How far is this from actual patient use?

The project developed phage preparations as candidates for clinical testing — meaning clinical trials have not yet been conducted within this project scope. The FET Open funding scheme targets high-risk breakthrough research, so this is still several years and regulatory steps away from patient use.

Does this work only for asthma or could it apply to other respiratory conditions?

The project focused specifically on asthma and the dysbiotic respiratory microbiome. However, the predictive model for virus-bacterial interactions and the in-vitro host-microbe-phage interface system could potentially be adapted for other conditions where respiratory microbiome imbalance plays a role. Based on available project data, no other indications were formally explored.

Is there regulatory precedent for phage therapy in Europe?

The project acknowledges that phage therapy has been grossly neglected in the western world and is just appearing as a tool against infection. There is no established EU regulatory pathway specifically for phage therapy in chronic diseases like asthma, which represents both a risk and an opportunity for first movers.

Consortium

Who built it

The CURE consortium brings together 10 partners from 6 countries (Switzerland, Greece, Georgia, Poland, Sweden, UK), coordinated by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. With 4 universities and 2 research organizations providing scientific depth, the consortium is research-heavy. The 2 industry partners and 3 SMEs (20% industry ratio) suggest some commercial awareness, but this is primarily an academic endeavor. Georgia's inclusion is notable — the country has a long tradition of phage therapy that predates Western interest. For a business partner, the relatively low industry participation means commercialization pathways may need external partners to drive market entry.

ETHNIKO KAI KAPODISTRIAKO PANEPISTIMIO ATHINONCoordinator · EL
THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTERparticipant · UK
SCHWEIZERISCHES FORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FUER HOCHGEBIRGSKLIMA UND MEDIZIN IN DAVOSparticipant · CH
IDRYMA IATROVIOLOGIKON EREUNON AKADEMIAS ATHINONparticipant · EL
UMEA UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
UNIWERSYTET MEDYCZNY W LODZIparticipant · PL
EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF ASTHMA &ALLERGY ASSOCIATIONS IDEELL FORENINGparticipant · SE
EXELIXIS DIACHEIRISI EREVNAS KAI EPIKOINONIA EEparticipant · EL

How to reach the team

Coordinator is at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to the research team.

Order a report on this consortium See ETHNIKO KAI KAPODISTRIAKO PANEPISTIMIO ATHINON profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing the CURE phage biobank or predictive model for your respiratory therapy pipeline? SciTransfer connects you directly with the research team — contact us for an introduction.

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