VICPhage Service

What we do

VICPhage, an initiative in partnership with Monash University, and as part of the new Alfred Infectious Diseases Program. This service is one of first in the country to offer end-end capacity in bacteriophage therapeutics for the most challenging infections. Our vision is for bacteriophage therapy to be a viable and accessible option for the treatment of complex infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens.

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria, with no effect on human cells. Bacteria have become increasingly resistant to traditional antibiotics, and new therapies are desperately required. Infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria consistently lead to poor clinical outcomes, increased mortality, and represent a huge burden on the healthcare system. Phages are an exciting, potential treatment option for complex, AMR infections, and uniquely, they do not impact the normal host microbiome due to their high specificity for a given bacterial species or strain.

Phages are non-toxic and inexpensive, most often being derived from environmental sources. Phage therapy for human infections have been around for over 100 years in parts of Eastern Europe, but with the advent of antibiotics, research and development for phages never progressed. Now, phage therapy is being considered in many parts of the world as a treatment for a wide range of serious infections, including wound, lung, joint, intra-abdominal, urinary tract and bloodstream infections.

Our team at Monash University have the capacity to provide rapid and reproducible production of bespoke phage products and we are establishing a Phage Biobank of highly active phages that target the most common and severe bacterial infections that we see within our hospital system.

Who we care for

We care for people with complex infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens.

What to expect

Your referring Specailist or GP will need to refer to The Alfred. Your referral will be assessed and if the referral is appropriate for VICPhage your GP or Specialist will be contacted regarding the next steps.

How to access this clinic

Referral from your GP or specialist

You need a referral from your GP or specialist to access this service.

Your doctor will need to fax your referral to us.

The referral will be assessed to determine if VICPhage is an appropriate course of treatment for you and the team will get back to your GP regarding the referral.

Clinic consultants

• Prof Anton Peleg: Infectious Diseases
• Dr Adam Jenney: Infectious Diseases, Microbiology