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Development of inhaled synergetic combinations for the treatment of resistant respiratory infections

The aim of BioFiNa is to develop inhaled synergetic combinations for the treatment of resistant respiratory infections. The development of germs which are increasingly resistant to antibiotics is a major public health problem. The arsenal of available antibacterials is no longer sufficient to eradicate chronic respiratory infections due to certain multi-resistant pathogenic agents such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. These respiratory pathologies include, among others, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and the various types of pneumonia.

The mechanisms giving rise to bacterial resistance in these pathologies very often rely on the presence of biofilms. Biofilms are constituted of polysaccharides and/or alginate surfaces, resistant to traditional antibacterials, which cover bacterial microcolonies, and which are consequently responsible for the persistence of the germ within the pulmonary parenchyma as well as the chronic underlying inflammation. No drugs exist at the current time that specifically target these biofilms. The aims of the BioFiNa project are:

  • To develop and assess the activity in vitro and in vivo of new pharmaceutical combinations, administered by inhalation, made of an antibacterial and an agent capable of dismantling the resistant biofilm;
  • To confirm the synergy between the two pharmacological agents;
  • To carry out the necessary toxicology tests to establish the innocuousness of the inhalation formulation; to carry out the first pharmacokinetic and clinical tests to confirm the effectiveness of this combination in the treatment of cystic fibrosis

 

Consortium

Companies: Galephar, Microbelcaps, Advanced Technology Corporation

Universities: ULiège, Université Libre de Bruxelles, UCLouvain