Bacterial vaginosis

Development of an antibacterial phage preparation for the treatment of recurrent bacterial vaginosis

AUMED, a.s. started, in cooperation with the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Hradec Králové, the development of an antibacterial phage preparation for local application into the vaginal cavity, intended for the treatment of recurrent bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis is a frequent infectious disease caused by an imbalance in the vaginal microflora, when the reduced proportion of lactobacilli allows the overgrowth of other bacteria. Most often, the bacterium Gardnerella vaginalis overgrows and causes an infection, the symptoms of which are discharge, itching and burning when urinating. In men, this infection can cause inflammation of the prostate or urinary tract.

WHY RESEARCH IN THIS AREA?

Treatment of bacterial vaginosis is especially important before gynecological surgery and during pregnancy. Bacteria accompanying bacterial vaginosis, including G. vaginalis, are associated with a number of complications during pregnancy, including premature birth or miscarriage. While women who give birth at term have a vaginal microflora with a predominant lactobacilli, specifically L. crispatus, women who give birth prematurely consistently show an increased diversity of bacteria in the vaginal microbiome. In many patients, it was found that the decrease in the number of Lactobacillus spp. it is associated with the risk of spontaneous preterm birth and premature rupture of the amniotic membranes. Therefore, pregnant women who suffer from bacterial vaginosis show an increased risk of premature birth compared to healthy women. Doctors currently diagnose bacterial vaginosis in approximately 15-20% of pregnant women.

Bacterial vaginosis is currently most commonly treated with locally acting antibiotics. However, treatment failure and recurrent disease are increasingly common. The number of women for whom antibiotic treatment is not very successful or who have recurring problems is increasing significantly.

AIM OF OUR RESEARCH

The result of these research activities will be a preparation that will be effective in the therapy of long-term and recurrent vaginosis and will be usable in the medical field in gynecological specialties. The preparation will be in a pharmaceutical form that allows for easy lay application. At the same time, it will be technologically designed so that neither its composition nor the preparation technology causes degradation of the active ingredient (phage API).

The research is also implemented with the help of the program within the Operational Program Technology and Applications for Competitiveness, Application – call I., registration number CZ.01.01.01/01/22_002/0000523.