The evidence tracker — failures included
Nothing signals maturity like naming your field’s failures. This ledger tracks notable phage-therapy trials — and deliberately keeps the negative and non-superiority results (PhagoBurn, the Tbilisi UTI RCT, CYPHY) in plain view. The honest read of 2026: defined phage products have shown safety and real efficacy signals, but no completed pivotal Phase 3 and no Western approval yet.
Last reviewed 2026-06-26 · verify each NCT at clinicaltrials.gov
| Product | Indication | Phase | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
AP-SA02 (diSArm) Armata Pharmaceuticals NCT05184764 ↗ | S. aureus bacteremia Staphylococcus aureus | Phase 2 | Positive signal First randomized efficacy signal for IV phage in bloodstream infection (≈88% vs 58% response, 2025). Phase 3 planned. Conference-tier, not yet peer-reviewed pivotal data. |
LBP-EC01 (ELIMINATE) Locus Biosciences NCT05488340 ↗ | Recurrent UTI Escherichia coli | Phase 2/3 | Positive signal CRISPR-Cas3 enhanced cocktail; Part 1 cleared E. coli with symptom resolution (Lancet Infect Dis 2024). Controlled Part 2 underway. The most advanced registrational program. |
BX211 (DANCE) BiomX | Diabetic-foot osteomyelitis Staphylococcus aureus | Phase 2 | Positive signal Significant ulcer-size reduction vs placebo (topline 2025). Conference-tier. |
BX004 BiomX NCT05010577 ↗ | Cystic fibrosis lung infection Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Phase 2b | Ongoing Inhaled cocktail; Phase 1b/2a showed safe lower-airway delivery and reduced sputum burden (Nat Commun 2025). Phase 2b in progress. |
AP-PA02 (SWARM-Pa) Armata Pharmaceuticals NCT04596319 ↗ | Cystic fibrosis lung infection Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Phase 1b/2a | Completed Inhaled cocktail; safety met, sputum-burden reduction trend in highest-exposure subgroup. |
TP-102 Technophage NCT04803708 ↗ | Diabetic foot ulcers S. aureus / P. aeruginosa / A. baumannii | Phase 2 | Positive signal Randomized; greater wound closure and target-bacteria reduction vs placebo, though underpowered (Med 2025). |
SNIPR001 SNIPR Biome | Gut E. coli decolonization (prevent bloodstream infection) Escherichia coli | Phase 1 | Positive signal Oral CRISPR-armed phage; positive first-in-human safety and gut-targeting (Lancet Microbe 2026). Phase 1b ongoing. |
EcoActive Intralytix NCT03808103 ↗ | Crohn's disease (AIEC carriage) Adherent-invasive E. coli | Phase 1/2a | Ongoing Oral cocktail targeting adherent-invasive E. coli in colonized Crohn’s patients. |
PhagoDAIR I Phagenix / Lyon (CRIOAc) NCT05369104 ↗ | Prosthetic joint infection Staphylococcus aureus | Phase 2 (pilot RCT) | Ongoing Intra-articular phage + DAIR surgery to preserve the implant. |
Personalized IV phage NIH/NIAID ARLG NCT05453578 ↗ | Cystic fibrosis lung infection Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Phase 1b/2 | Ongoing The first NIH-funded phage clinical trial (with IPATH). |
Pyophage (intravesical) Eliava / Tbilisi (Leitner et al.) NCT03140085 ↗ | UTI in men (pre-TURP) Mixed uropathogens | Phase 2/3 | Did not meet endpoint The most-cited cautionary RCT: phage was NOT superior to placebo and not significantly different from antibiotics (Lancet Infect Dis 2021). Fewest adverse events with phage. |
PP1131 (PhagoBurn) Pherecydes / EU consortium | Burn-wound infection Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Phase 1/2 | Did not meet endpoint Stopped early for weak efficacy — but the cocktail lost titre in manufacturing and patients received ~10,000× below the intended dose (Lancet Infect Dis 2019). A formulation failure, not a refutation of the biology. |
YPT-01 (CYPHY) Felix Biotechnology / Yale NCT04684641 ↗ | Cystic fibrosis lung infection Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Phase 1b/2 | Did not meet endpoint Inhaled phage was safe but did not separate from placebo on day-14 bacterial load in a small trial. |