Phage Therapies Company BiomX Signs Johnson & Johnson Collaboration

Israel-based BiomX Ltd. has signed a collaboration agreement with Janssen Research & Development LLC, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, the company announced Wednesday. The two will use BiomX's technology to test biomarkers for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapies.

Founded in 2015, BiomX develops customized phage therapies. Bacteriophages are viruses that invade bacterial cells and can be used to treat bacterial infections. Phage therapy is often discussed as an alternative to traditional antibiotics, especially in the case of "superbugs," antibiotic-resistant bacteria. BiomX's platform uses DNA analysis and machine learning technology to decipher full microbial genomic signatures and determine whether they can be further developed as biomarkers.

BiomX did not provide financial details for the deal.