Intralytix


Intralytix, Inc. is a privately held “C” corporation that was incorporated in the State of Maryland on July 28, 1998. Intralytix specializes in bacteriophage-based products used to control bacterial pathogens in environmental, agricultural, food processing, and medical settings.

Company Background

Intralytix was founded in 1998 in Baltimore, Maryland, by Drs. John Glenn Morris, Jr. and Alexander Sulakvelidze together with a group of other scientists and business professionals. The platform technology of Intralytix is based on using naturally occurring, non-genetically modified lytic bacteriophages for developing “green” commercial products for a variety of applications. These products are all-natural, antibiotic-free ways to control disease causing bacterial pathogens.

Major Milestones

In 2006, Intralytix was the first company in the world to receive FDA/USDA approval for a bacteriophage-based food safety product, ListShield™.
That same year, Intralytix was also the first company in the world to successfully assemble a Master Drug File application with the FDA, and to manufacture and supply its phage product for the first-ever in the US human clinical trial when phages were used to treat infected venous ulcers.
In 2018, Intralytix was granted the first FDA approved IND for a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial in the US for an orally administered phage preparation.
As of 2020, Intralytix has the largest number of commercial FDA-approved phage food safety products with four FDA- and USDA-approved bacteriophage-based food safety products, and the fifth food safety product approval expected in 2021,,,.
As of 2020, Intralytix is the largest commercial manufacturer of phage products for food safety applications in the US with successful scale up to a 1,500 L fermenter.

Intralytix Facilities

Intralytix is located at 8681 Robert Fulton Drive, Columbia MD 21046, US. The 33,000 square foot building has a dedicated C-suite and state-of-the-art R&D and GMP production facilities with capabilities for:
The first commercial bacteriophage food safety product developed was ListShield™, which targets Listeria monocytogenes contamination of foods. It received FDA/USDA approval in 2006. Two years later, ListShield™ was approved for use as an environmental decontaminant by the Environmental Protection Agency . In 2010, Intralytix began large scale commercial sales of ListShield™ to the food industry.
Other phage-based food safety phage products followed. In 2011, Intralytix received regulatory clearance from the FDA for its EcoShield™ food safety product effective against E. coli specific for the use of EcoShield™ on red meat parts and trim intended to be ground. In the same year, EcoShield™ received regulatory clearance from the USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service for use on red meat to be ground and was determined to constitute an incidental aid that will not require labeling.
Subsequent phage preparations received regulatory clearance from the FDA through Generally Recognized As Safe acknowledgements. SalmoFresh™, which is used to target Salmonella contamination, was declared GRAS in 2013 and ShigaShield™, used to treat Shigella, received clearance by the FDA in 2017. As of May 2020, Intralytix has four FDA- and USDA-approved bacteriophage-based food safety products on the market. This is the largest number of FDA-approved phage food safety products for any company in the world.

Expansion into Human Therapeutics

In addition to its line of food safety products, Intralytix is a world leader in human health applications for phage products. It has several all-natural, antibiotic-free phage-based products capable of treating human diseases of bacterial origin in various stages of development. In 2006, under Intralytix’s MDF and an investigator-initiated IND at the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center in Lubbock, Texas, Intralytix was the first company in the US to perform a first-in-human clinical trial where phages were used to treat infected venous ulcers.
As of 2019, the company is sponsoring a Phase1/2a clinical trial of the EcoActive™ phage preparation for targeting adherent-invasive E. coli associated with Crohn’s disease. This trial is currently enrolling patients at the Icahn School of Medicine at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY, and is expected to be completed in 2022.
In May 2020, Intralytix received a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, for the clinical development of its bacteriophage therapy preparation, ShigActive™, for managing infections caused by the bacterial pathogen Shigella. These Phase1/2a studies are anticipated to begin in 2021.
Also in 2021, the company plans to begin clinical trials of another human therapeutic product, VRELysin™, to treat Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci.

Awards and Recognition

Intralytix is the world leader in bacteriophage technology, with experience in all technical, regulatory, and manufacturing aspects of the phage business. Intralytix is headed by Dr. Alexander Sulakvelidze, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, who is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in bacteriophage technology.
Intralytix’s patent strategy is based on a multi-pronged approach, which provides broad and strong protection ranging from protecting specific bacteriophages that serve as the cornerstone of various company products to methods and applications of those bacteriophages in various settings.
As of May 2020, Intralytix has:

Food Safety Products

These phage-based products are designed to be applied to food before, during, or after processing or packaging, as appropriate. They work by targeting and killing specific human pathogenic bacteria that may be present in food. These products do not alter the color, taste, or smell of food in any way.
All of these products are 100% natural and non-GMO. Most of them are also certified Kosher and Halal, and are OMRI-listed as suitable ingredients in the production of organic foods.

Pre-Harvest Intervention Products

These food safety related products are designed to be applied to live animals prior to entering the processing facility, through spray application to the animals’ hide, skin, or feathers. After application, the phages act to reduce the contamination of specific target bacteria, if present on the animal, and prevent it from entering the facility.