Adherent-invasive E. coli in Crohn’s
AIEC LF82 invades the Crohn ileal mucosa via FimH-CEACAM6 and drives inflammation. Antibiotics fail and harm commensals; lytic phages kill only target E. coli, spare the microbiome, and self-amplify in the gut.
How phages act here
Mechanism
EcoActive is a seven-phage strictly lytic coliphage cocktail against AIEC/LF82; phages lyse cells, cutting fecal and mucosa-adherent AIEC. It reduced AIEC in CEACAM6 mice and lysed LF82 in Crohn patient biopsies; twice-daily dosing 15 days prevented colitis.
Where it stands
Current evidence
Intralytix EcoActive is in a Phase 1/2a placebo-controlled trial (NCT03808103) in inactive Crohn at Mount Sinai and Johns Hopkins; as of 2025 active, not recruiting, no results posted. Strong preclinically, early-clinical safety stage.
Evidence confidence: medium
The data
Key studies & trials
Who is working on it
Programs & centers
The possibility
If EcoActive durably suppresses mucosa-adherent AIEC, Crohn could gain its first microbiome-sparing precision antibacterial, extendable to other gut diseases.