SGH used phage therapy for antibiotic-resistant infection treatment

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has successfully used a century-old treatment called phage therapy to save a patient with an antibiotic-resistant infection. This made the patient the first in Southeast Asia to receive this therapy. The treatment involves using bacteriophages, viruses that selectively attack harmful bacteria. Phage therapy was popular in the early 1900s but fell out of use with the rise of antibiotics. However, with growing concerns over antibiotic resistance, interest in phage therapy is increasing. The patient, a woman in her 30s with congenital heart disease, developed a severe infection after her fifth surgery. The infection was caused by a tough bacteria known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Initially, the patient faced two difficult options: a risky surgery to remove the infected implant or long-term intravenous antibiotics. She chose the latter but continued to have infections due to the antibiotic resistance. The SGH medical team then decided to combine phage therapy with antibiotics. The phages were able to penetrate biofilms that protected the bacteria, allowing the antibiotics to work more effectively. After a two-week course of treatment with the phages, the infection improved significantly. This successful approach allowed her to avoid risky surgery and switch to oral antibiotics. Associate Professor Andrea Kwa described phages as “little soldiers” that hijack the machinery of bacteria to defeat them. Although phages are abundant in nature, finding the right ones for specific infections can be challenging. Since the initial use of phage therapy, SGH has treated two other patients and plans to treat more soon. The hospital is also working with authorities to create guidelines for broader use of phage therapy for other patients in need.