Collaboration to develop engineered bacteriophage therapeutics targeting bacterial pathogens responsible for serious eye infections

Locus Biosciences, Inc. (“Locus”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing precision engineered bacteriophage treatments for a diverse set of bacterial diseases, today announced a research collaboration agreement with Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS), a global healthcare company, to develop novel engineered bacteriophage products targeting ophthalmic bacterial infections.

Under the terms of the agreement, Locus and Viatris will collaborate to develop precision antibacterial therapeutics for serious eye infections, an area of high unmet medical need due to the rise in antibiotic-resistant infections worldwide.

Locus’s proprietary development platform integrates predictive artificial intelligence (AI), high-throughput robotics, and synthetic biology to create bacteriophage cocktails that selectively eliminate pathogenic bacteria while sparing beneficial species.

“This partnership with Viatris marks a significant milestone for Locus as we bring our world-leading bacteriophage therapy platform to ophthalmology,” said Paul Garofolo, Co-founder and CEO of Locus Biosciences. “Targeted therapies are urgently needed to address the growing burden of antimicrobial resistance in eye infections. We’re proud to work with Viatris to accelerate the development of new precision medicines for patients in need.”

This collaboration underscores the growing global recognition of phage therapy as a promising alternative or complement to traditional antibiotics—especially as antimicrobial resistance continues to rise amid decades of chronic under-investment in novel antibacterial treatment approaches.

About Locus Biosciences

Locus Biosciences is creating a new class of precision biotherapeutics for a diverse set of bacterial and microbiome/inflammatory diseases. A world-leading bacteriophage discovery, synthetic biology, and manufacturing platform powers the company. Locus engineers bacteriophage – naturally occurring viruses that target bacteria – to kill pathogenic bacteria while sparing good bacteria, using programmable CRISPR-Cas3 and other therapeutic payloads. The company’s lead clinical asset, LBP-EC01, is currently in Phase 2 clinical development for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Locus has also secured non-dilutive partnerships with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Combatting Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Accelerator (CARB-X) to support its product development. For more information, visit www.locus-bio.com.

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Locus and Viatris will collaborate to develop precision antibacterial therapeutics for serious eye infections