Cure4CF Update

A Decade of Change: How Bacteriophage Research Is Making a Difference for People with CF

Professor Jodie Simpson, Head of Research, Cure4CF

A decade ago, the idea of using bacteriophages—viruses that naturally kill bacteria—to treat chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) was considered experimental at best. Antibiotics dominated care, even as resistance steadily grew.

Today, that early promise of those first proof of concept studies has evolved into something far more powerful: an evidence-driven pipeline of research, translation, and clinical application. Supported by Cure4CF since 2018, bacteriophage research is now delivering real outcomes for patients—and reshaping what is possible in CF care.

The Early Years: Seeding Innovation

The journey began in 2018 with a small investment into a pre-clinical study exploring phage therapy in the sinus.

This early work focused on a fundamental question:
Could bacteriophages safely and effectively target key CF pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa—and could they work alongside antibiotics in complex biological systems? – in other words could the team add safely bacteriophages with antibiotics in their model and if they did, would the bacteriophages be able to kill the pathogen?

Using a sheep model, researchers demonstrated that combining antibiotics with phage therapy could enhance bacterial killing. This study was pivotal. It established proof-of-concept in a living system and laid the scientific foundation for future human trials.

Just as importantly, it generated the high-quality, evidence-based data needed to unlock larger funding opportunities. Securing more than $1.7 million in MRFF funding, supporting a clinical program with the first patient treated in a clinical trial in 2024.

This is how transformation begins: not with a single breakthrough, but with sustained commitment to evidence.

A World-First Turning Point: CHIP-CF

In 2023 Cure4CF provided funding for  the CHIP-CF program which transitioned bacteriophage therapy from the laboratory into human clinical trials—testing personalised, matched phages targeting each patient’s specific lung infection. In 2023 Cure4CF provided funding for for the CHIP-CF program which transitioned bacteriophage therapy from the laboratory into human clinical trials—testing personalised, matched phages targeting each patient’s specific lung infection.

Led at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Westmead, CHIP-CF represents the world’s first dedicated paediatric bacteriophage clinical trial for children with CF and chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.

For children facing repeated hospitalisations—often three or four times each year—this work is transformative. The results to date are remarkable with the first four children experiencing no side effects or problems with the treatment.  They all showed improvements in lung function and remarkably, three cleared infections that had persisted for more than 6 years.

These are not incremental gains—they represent a step-change in what is possible. Importantly, the trial now includes children as young as six—opening the door to earlier, preventative intervention before irreversible lung damage occurs.

This is precision medicine in action: targeted, personalised, and timed to maximise lifelong impact.

From Breakthroughs to Scalable Systems: RAPID PHAGE

A year later in 2024, the focus expanded from individual treatments to scalable capability. One of the challenges in taking phage therapy into clinical care is the time taken to carefully match the phage to the specific bacteria causing the patient’s infection.

Supported further by further Cure4CF research funding, the RAPID PHAGE program is developing a phage-to-bacteria matching platform in human lung infections—an essential step toward making personalised phage therapy accessible at scale. This methodological work represents a shift from bespoke therapy to system-wide delivery.

This phase transformed the program from a clinical success story into a growing research ecosystem.

This phase has also catalysed major investment:

  • $900,000 in fellowships (2025) supporting research leaders Anthony Kicic and Yulia Karpievitch
  • $500,000 in AI-enabled phage research funding
  • Continued expansion of international collaboration

Next-Generation Innovation: Phage Lumigel

By 2025, Cure4CF have continued our investment with the Phage Lumigel project. This represents a new frontier—moving beyond phage matching to engineer advanced therapeutic systems designed for the unique challenges of the CF lung.

This pre-clinical work focuses on a mutli-hit therapy:

  • Personalised phage complexes matched to individual infections
  • Technologies to penetrate thick mucus
  • Strategies to disrupt biofilms and enhance bacterial killing

It reflects a deeper understanding of why infections persist—and how to overcome those barriers.

From Projects to Platforms

Across four major initiatives—spanning sinus and lung disease, pre-clinical and clinical research, and laboratory to bedside translation—this bacteriophage research program has secured millions more in direct funding.

But the true impact goes far beyond this figure.

What has emerged is a coordinated pipeline:

  • Pre-clinical discovery
  • Clinical trials
  • Matching platforms
  • Next-generation therapeutic technologies

Together, these efforts are transforming bacteriophage therapy from a promising concept into a deliverable, scalable model of care.

Evidence as the Engine

Across this 9-year journey, one principle has remained central: evidence-based care.

Each investment—whether in early laboratory studies, translational platforms, or clinical trials—has contributed to a growing, rigorous evidence base. At Cure4CF we want to fund research that has a clear path to translation and into the clinic.

That evidence is now driving the next generation of research questions which will define the future—and they are only possible because of the strength of what has been built.

The Next Chapter

We are now entering a new era.

What began as a small pre-clinical study has become a global, collaborative research ecosystem. What was once experimental is now being tested in children—and delivering real, lasting outcomes.

There is genuine momentum across the Cure4CF community. New projects are building on strong foundations, accelerating toward clinical trials, regulatory pathways, and ultimately, routine care.

The progress of the past nine years tells a powerful story.

But the next chapter may be even more important.

Because for people living with cystic fibrosis, this is not just about innovation and access.

It is about changing lives.