Intralytix seeks FDA approval of E. coli spray

An update from Baltimore, Maryland-based Intralytix — known for using

bacteriophages to control bacterial pathogens in environmental, food processing, and medical settings. The company has announced that it will shortly seek regulatory approval for its E. coli-fighting spray, a spray that is intended for use in meat processing. Intralytix has alrady received FDA approval for a listeria-fighting spray, and like that one the system uses microphages to immobilize and destroy bacteria. “You can think of it as a parasite that multiplies inside of bacteria,” said David Spector of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Most important, however, is that the microphages selected for E. coli duty are specifically targetted against E. coli O157:H7 and do not harm the so-called “good strains” in the human digestive tract. “We have tested the product on red meat and on fruits and vegetables, mostly broccoli and spinach,” said company CEO John Vazzana. “We have very good efficacy data in controlled studies.”