Bacteriophages are viruses which exclusively infect bacteria; they do not infect or cause disease in humans, apart from standard immune reactions. They can be highly effective in combating bacterial infection, particularly those caused by drug resistant bacteria. However, present FDA policy prevents the effective development and medical use of bacteriophages, to the detriment of patients suffering from drug resistant bacterial infections such as MRSA.
Modernizing FDA policy to permit greater use of bacteriophages will stimulate growth in the biotechnology industry, and save lives.