Making Phage Therapy Accessible for All
We exist to make phage therapy happen for patients across the UK. Partnering with leading organizations, we offer a comprehensve clinical service for every step of the patient journey.
About UK Phage Therapy
Founded in 2022, UK Phage Therapy is a non-profit which builds on extensive experience delivering phage therapy across multiple NHS Trusts.
We run the UK's National Clinical Phage Service, ensuring comprehensive patient support.
End-to-End
Support
Est. 2022
Multiple NHS Trusts
National Clinical Service
We can take clinical requests from
doctors across the UK.
We can also build capacity in all NHS Trusts to support ongoing phage use.
Use the contact form below to send a clinical request or just to find out more.
About our Director
Dr Jones has supported the use of phage therapy in several NHS Trusts and is actively working with other Trusts across the UK. Dr Jones trained in
virology at the University of Cambridge.
Frequently asked questions
Explore our FAQs below
What are phages?
Phages are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. They are also known as bacteriophages - which literally means 'bacteria eaters'.
What is phage therapy?
The use of naturally occurring phages to treat bacterial infections in people.
Can phages
infect me?
No. Phages are viruses that infect and kill bacteria, they do not infect human cells.
Where are phages found?
Everywhere! Phages are found wherever bacteria are found. Stuff with lots of bacteria in contains lots of phages, like sewage or poo. Phages can also be found in or on people. There are more phages on or in you than there are cells in your body!
I'm a UK doctor:
how can I
access phage therapy?
Please use the contact form
below to get in touch and we will walk you through every step of the process.
Do you treat patients?
No. We provide step-by-step support to local NHS
clinical teams to obtain and use phage therapy.
I'm a UK patient: how can I get phage therapy?
Patients in the UK must discuss with their own doctor whether phage therapy may be suitable for them.
Phage therapy is not a licensed medicine in the UK. It is up to your consultant to decide whether phage therapy should be considered. Phage therapy may only be considered where licensed alternatives (e.g. antibiotics) are not meeting a patient's clinical needs.
If your doctor thinks phage therapy may be a suitable for you, they should contact us via the form below.
Patients should not have to travel outside of their NHS Trust to receive phage therapy.
Should I have to travel to receive phage therapy?
No. As described in this article, patients should receive phage therapy in the NHS Trust in which they would have been treated had phage therapy not been available. All NHS Trusts have unlicensed medicines policies and the expertise to
assess whether unlicensed
medicines are appropriate.
Are the UK's regulations holding back phage therapy?
There has been a misconception that existing medicines
regulations do not work for phages because phages are so different from the normal types of drugs we use.
In fact, current UK regulations do not pose a barrier to the
appropriate use of phage
therapy or the development of phage-based products. Although of course the need for regulatory refinements may become clear in future.
Currently, as set out in MHRA Guidance Note 14, unlicensed medicines (such as phages) may be used in the UK when
clinicians decide that licensed
alternatives are not meeting a patient's clinical needs. Unlicensed medicines are
regularly used in the NHS and the NHS has
existing policies governing the use of unlicensed medicines in all NHS Trusts.
A barrier is that phages
produced in the UK must be made in line with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). GMP is an internationally
recognised quality standard. Currently, all phages used
clinically in the UK are imported.
UK Phage Therapy is working with public and private partners to establish GMP phage
production in the UK.
Get in touch
We'd love to hear from you,
please contact us using the form below.
Your personal information will be handled in accordance with UK Data Protection laws.
Clinicians - do not send patient
identifiable information via this form.
We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Contact us
