Question: Describe the differences between Intralytix and GangaGen. Can you locate their “best selling products”? What are the main struggles these companies have to deal with? Look at their current web page. What changes have taken place since the writing of The Forgotten Cure?

Alexander Sulakvelidze was the co-founder of Intralytix, a company that initially focused on the use of phages to combat human diseases and bacteria found in produce and poultry. Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) was Intralytix’s main target during their starting days in the world of bacteriophage therapy. Intralytix faced some expected challenges that surrounded bacteriophage therapy in human diseases. The Food and Drug Administration was an obstacle that was proven tough to get around when it came to initiating clinical trials. Intralytix’s bacteriophage concoction to combat VRE was rejected by the FDA, and as a result, the company switched gears to focusing on bacteriophage therapy of meat and poultry.

Dr. Janakiraman Ramachandrian was the primary founder of GangaGen and “leader” of a Scientific Advisory Board that was composed of many notable figures. GangaGen appeared to have not have battled the same amount of financial troubles that Intralytix had in their time, due to donors and investors in the company. GangaGen centered their focus around E. coli 0,157, with the ultimate goal of passing clinical trials and placing itself on the market. After a large investment from Otsuka, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, GangaGen was highly encouraged by Otsuka to concentrate on human diseases in comparison to Intralyix.

Perhaps the largest struggle that Intralytix and GangaGen encountered was the FDA and gaining approval to move forward to clinical trials. There was a large amount of skepticism surrounding bacteriophage therapy. Companies were also hesitant with investing and utilizing bacteriophage therapy. Nevertheless, Intralytix was able to secure a distributor, manufacturer, and producer of their products, all without the product receiving approval from the FDA. However, in 2006, strides were made from the FDA approving the use of phages in prepared foods.

The Intralytix website displays its list of products, all of which food safety, pet food safety, or harvest of animals. None of the featured products on the Intralytix website directly combats human diseases. This indicates that after Intralytix switched over to meat and poultry bacteriophage therapy as seen in The Forgotten Cure, they did not switch their focus back to human diseases. Notable products include SalmoFresh and EcoShield. The GangaGen website puts emphasis on Ecto-Lysin (P128), which presents strong evidence that it is the “signature GangaGen gene” that was inserted in the place of the lysin gene as described in The Forgotten Cure. The GangaGen website cites research that seems to focus on the Ecto-Lysin as their main recombinant protein. MRSA was also on the radar of GangaGen during The Forgotten Cure. The GangaGen website indicates that MRSA is still a focus of the company.