11/07/2024 (Agence Europe) – After more than a year of informal operation, the founding members of PhageEU announced on Thursday 11 July that they had formalised their activities by setting up a not-for-profit organisation in Brussels. PhageEU will represent the interests of the phage producer community to improve the quality of life in Europe. PhageEU “sees a unique opportunity to shape the EU’s political and regulatory agenda so that the full potential of phages can be used for the benefit of EU citizens, patients and farmers”, explains a PhageEU press release. Bacteriophages are natural viruses that are widespread in the environment and specifically target bacteria. Their use in medicine, known as ‘phagotherapy’, involves isolating, characterising and cultivating them, then purifying them to treat bacterial infections. (LC)