Novophage Takes First Place at UT's Moot Corp Competition With Antimicrobials

This past weekend Novophage took first place and bagged $135,000 at the University of Texas at Austin's annual Moot Corp Competition. The prize money breaks out like this:

1. $25,000 in cash;
2. the Austin Technology Incubator Launch Package worth $25,000, featuring a one-year membership, which includes strategic business consulting services and mentoring from a team of industry experts, office space, and access to discounted legal, accounting and businesses services from top-tier providers;
3. consulting with the UT's McCombs School of Business entrepreneurship faculty worth $25,000;
4. a full page ad in Inc. magazine worth $60,000.

Novophage has developed patent-pending bacteriophages (viruses that infect and destroy bacteria) that will increase the efficacy of antibiotic treatment and extend the lifetime of antibiotics. The phages attack bacteria, significantly delaying the onset of antibiotic resistance. The phages are designed to complement existing antibiotic treatment of infections.

According to the company, they have observed 30,000-time increases in bactericide (the killing of bacteria) of antibiotics, when combined with Novophage-engineered phages against various types of bacteria, which are obstacles in antibiotic treatment. The company also boasts an increase in the survival rate of E. coli-infected mice from 20% to 80%, when phages are used in conjunction with traditional antibiotic therapy.

Novophage is comprised of a stellar team of PhD, MD and MBA candidates at top universities in the Boston area, including MIT, Harvard and Boston University.

Related links:

• Novophage
• Moot Corp Competition