Phagos Raises €25M to Advance Bacteriophage Therapy for Animal Health

By Agroempresario.com

Paris-based biotech company Phagos, co-founded by Alexandros Pantalis and Adèle James, announced the successful closing of a €25 million ($29 million) Series A funding round to accelerate the development of bacteriophage drugs to treat bacterial diseases in animals, with potential future applications for humans.

The financing round was co-led by CapAgro, Hoxton Ventures, CapHorn, and Demeter, with participation from Acurio Ventures, Citizen Capital, Entrepreneur First, Founders Capital, and Station F. The capital will allow Phagos to deploy veterinary treatments and further develop its proprietary platform, Alphagos, designed to streamline the discovery and development of phage therapies.

Rising Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance

This announcement comes amid growing global concern about antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The World Health Organization (WHO) recently highlighted the “insufficient” pipeline of drugs to combat drug-resistant bacterial infections. According to WHO estimates, AMR could cause approximately 39 million deaths worldwide over the next 25 years.

AMR also represents a major threat to animal health, affecting food security, livestock productivity, and animal welfare. WHO calls for increased investment in diagnostic tools and treatments that can be deployed in resource-limited settings to better control resistant infections.

The Promise of Phage Therapy

Bacteriophages, or “phages,” are viruses that naturally target and destroy specific bacteria without affecting other cells. Found in soil, water, and even the human gut, phages have co-evolved with bacteria for millions of years, making them an ideal alternative to traditional antibiotics. In livestock, phage therapy could treat infections caused by pathogens such as Salmonella or E. coli, reducing reliance on antibiotics and helping address AMR.

Phagos’ Alphagos platform combines microbiology with artificial intelligence (AI) to diagnose bacterial strains, identify effective phages, and develop ultra-targeted bacterial treatments. These therapies are continuously adapted to ensure maximum efficacy and minimize the risk of resistance development.

Current Applications and Future Plans

Since its founding in 2021, Phagos has focused on animal health solutions tailored to specific livestock operations and environments. Its phage therapy is currently applied across poultry, cattle, swine, and shrimp farming sectors. The company recently filed a patent for its AI-powered platform, marking a significant step in its innovation roadmap.

“We are convinced that phage therapy can transform the history of medicine just as antibiotics did in the last century,” said Alexandros Pantalis and Adèle James, co-founders of Phagos. “Thanks to our regulatory breakthroughs and our patented platform combining microbiology and artificial intelligence, we now have the opportunity to establish phage therapy as a global reference solution: for animal health today, and for human health tomorrow.”

Expansion and Impact

The €25 million Series A funding will be deployed to expand veterinary phage therapy in the field and support Phagos’ international expansion plans across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The company aims to further refine its Alphagos platform and accelerate access to phage therapy as a sustainable alternative to antibiotics in animal agriculture.

Phagos’ efforts align with global priorities to combat AMR and improve animal health while ensuring food security. As antimicrobial resistance continues to rise, innovations like phage therapy could redefine disease management in agriculture and beyond.