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LIFESCIENCELEADER.COM MARCH 2014 59 Harlan Contract Research Services (CRS) is a leading global provider of preclinical and nonclinical contract research services. Many of the world's top pharma, biotech and medical device organizations trust Harlan CRS . Our team is driven by decades of proven expertise and a passion for conducting breakthrough science. We understand how to best support your program — we know the value of close relationships and the role communication plays in building them. The complexit y of your research doesn't have to define how difcult it is. When you've got hard work to do, make it effortless with Harlan CRS. Make it Effortless with Harlan CRS +41 (0)61 975 11 11 MakeBiopharmaEfortless.com C H E M I C A L • A G R O C H E M I C A L • H U M A N H E A L T H • A N I M A L H E A L T H trum antibiotics is that they damage the balance of the natural microbiota (the nat- urally occurring population of bacteria in the gut, vagina, mouth, and skin). This can have a negative impact on health. CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY OUT OF A PROBLEM These issues all make the market dynam- ics of creating new antibiotics less attrac- tive. This void is being filled by compa- nies creating nonantibiotic antibacterial agents that can target specific antibiotic- resistant and antibiotic-sensitive bacte- ria, and that are less likely to encourage resistance or to affect the overall micro- biota profile. Because these nonantibio- tic agents can destroy resistant bacteria, they could also have potential in tandem with antibiotics, which may even reduce the development of resistance. While the initial development of antibiotic alterna- tives is largely in the hands of small bio- tech companies, pharma companies are likely to take an interest in the outcomes of research, maintaining the prospect of future support and collaborations. PHAGE THERAPY: COMBATING MICROBES WITH MICROBES A bacteriophage (more commonly just known as a "phage") is a naturally occur- ring virus that has evolved specifically to target bacteria, with no impact on other cells or organisms. Physicians in the former USSR have used phages to treat bacterial infections for almost a century. However, other than a brief time in the early 20th century when they were sold as treatments in the U.S., they have been regarded with some suspicion. "Phage cocktails were sold in the 1920s and 1930s by a number of well-established Western pharmaceutical companies. However, unfortunately they were some- times sold inappropriately, partly because of a lack of understanding of the basic molecular biology," says Hardcastle. "For example, phages were sold as a thera- peutic for polio and influenza [both of which are caused by viruses not bacteria]. Consequently, people began to question their efficacy. Once penicillin was discov- ered and we learned how to make it in large quantities, phage therapy was con- D A V I D M A R T I N CEO & cofounder of AvidBiotics Antibiotic resistance has emerged and has now become rampant worldwide. 0 3 1 4 _ P h a r m a _ B u s i n e s s _ A n t i b i o t i c . i n d d 3 0314_Pharma_Business_Antibiotic.indd 3 2 / 1 9 / 2 0 1 4 2 : 4 4 : 4 0 P M 2/19/2014 2:44:40 PM