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Although whole phage continue to generate interest as an alternative to antibiotics, focus is shifting to the use of purified phage components as antibacterial agents.
A combination of approaches and compounds—many of which failed to yield immediate results in the past—will ultimately prove invaluable to the drug industry in the ongoing battle against infectious disease.
Although some dazzling technical approaches have fallen short, dozens of small companies and a few major pharmas seek new products for this medically crucial, modest-growth market.
A raft of companies offering stretches of synthetic DNA built to customer specifications at low-cost have been attracting biotechs attention with promises of ever-longer stands.
Two companies, Kosan Biosciences, and NeuTec Pharma, are vying for “first in field” status with drugs that take different approaches to squelching heat shock protein 90.
For South Africa's sparkling biotech sector not to fizzle, it must win over risk-averse investors, exploit local strengths, focus on simple business models and look to the East. Sabine Louët reports.