PhagoMed Biopharma

PhagoMed Biopharma GmbH, now operating as BioNTech R&D (Austria) GmbH, was established in Vienna, Austria, in 2017 to address the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance. The company was founded by a team that includes Alexander Belcredi, Lorenzo Corsini, Burkhard Wippermann, Jörg Schierholz, and Andrej Trampuz. Belcredi and Corsini, both former consultants at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and medtech sectors, were driven by the vision of using bacteriophages—viruses that selectively destroy bacteria—as a viable alternative to conventional antibiotics. Their backgrounds in business strategy and biopharmaceutical R&D provided the foundation for the company's direction.

The core of the company's work revolves around developing precision antibacterial treatments for chronic and drug-resistant infections. PhagoMed's primary technology is centered on phages and their derivatives, specifically lysins, which are enzymes produced by phages to break down bacterial cell walls. A key asset is the LysinBuilder platform, a proprietary system for designing and developing synthetic lysins to create targeted antibacterial drugs. This technology offers a significant benefit over broad-spectrum antibiotics by precisely targeting harmful bacteria without damaging the body's natural microbiome. The company's initial development programs focused on critical areas such as infected prosthetic joints, urinary tract infections, and bacterial vaginosis.

PhagoMed's business model was focused on research and development, aiming to advance its portfolio of drug candidates through preclinical and clinical trials. The company successfully raised capital through private investments and public grants to fund its R&D activities at the Vienna Biocenter. A major milestone was the acquisition by BioNTech SE in October 2021, which valued the company at approximately €130 million, including an upfront payment and potential milestone-based earnings. Following the acquisition, PhagoMed was renamed BioNTech R&D (Austria) GmbH and now serves as BioNTech's specialized research hub for novel anti-bacterial agents, continuing its mission to develop next-generation therapies against infectious diseases.

Keywords: phage therapy, lysin technology, antibacterial drugs, antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial resistance, BioNTech R&D Austria, bacterial infections, biopharmaceutical, Vienna Biocenter, drug development, synthetic lysins, microbiome, precision medicine, infectious diseases, periprosthetic joint infections, urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis, Alexander Belcredi, Lorenzo Corsini, pathogen-specific antimicrobials