GangaGen is working diligently with its partner Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lily to bring its first product into the market next year for food safety to control E. coli 0157 in cattle. Plans are also to initiate the first human trials around the same time.

In September 2005, the company had entered into a collaborative research, license and commercialization agreement with Elanco to develop anti-bacterial products derived from bacteriophages. The two companies are jointly engaged in the development and commercialization of phage-based products for the control of dangerous bacteria that pose problems for human and animal health.

Currently, there are no effective treatment options to decrease bacterial pathogens in food animals prior to their slaughter.

"The focus of our research in phage development is on the control of the E. coli O157:H7 pathogen, which results in serious food borne illness in humans. Our efforts have been to look at the possibility of eliminating pathogenic E. coli in cattle before the animal is processed for food. We have already demonstrated in pre-regulatory trials with cattle that our phage product is effective to reduce the E. coli O157:H7 burden", stated Dr Janakiraman Ramachandran, president, GangaGen Biotechnologies, the Indian subsidiary of Gangagen Inc.

The company has inked a pact with Lallemand, a major animal feed distributor in Europe and South America for developing phage products for the control of Salmonella infection of poultry and swine. It has also received three US patents and has filed applications for additional nine patents.

There are also several patents under Office Action. In May 2005, the company received two US patents for proprietary technologies 'Lysin-Deficient Bacteriophages with Reduced Immunogenicity' and incapacitated Whole-Cell Immunogenic Compositions.

The seven year-old company has been engaged in pioneering research in bacteriophages which are proving to be promising therapeutic agents. It is also the only global biotech company which has noteworthy Intellectual Property Rights with a cost-effective operations strategy, pointed out Dr Ramachandran.

The key area of research for GangaGen is the development of proprietary, bacteriophage-based products for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections, particularly that are resistant to antibiotics, through the application of contemporary molecular and clinical sciences. The Company's bacteriophage, both natural and engineered, can be applied broadly to kill bacteria pathogenic to humans.

It has developed proprietary technology for the production of phage products like the elimination of Staph infection including the dreaded, hospital-acquired Methycillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA), treatment of recurrent urinary tract infection and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in burns and wounds.

The Bangalore operations will be expanded as the company is planning to relocate to a larger facility to accommodate additional projects. The expansion in infrastructure will result in hiring personnel that will constitute 20 per cent of additional workforce, informed Dr Ramachandran.