27 March, 2024
On March 19, by the decision of the Georgian Government, in order to maximize the global competitiveness and scientific potential of the Georgian economy, 3 main technological directions of the country were defined, and among them, phage technology became one of the key directions.
“Georgia is a pioneer in this technology, and the country has almost a century of experience in phage research and development. Today, when the demand for phages is dramatically increasing worldwide, Georgia can offer the world advanced phage products,”- stated the Prime Minister of Georgia.
“Georgia has a very large and important potential, as well as a historical context in the research and development of phage products. Today’s announcement by the Prime Minister and the Vice Prime Minister is a uniquely positive signal for the entire field, and I hope that it will be a turning point in the field of biotechnology and phage development in Georgia. We often say that Georgia is the cradle and homeland not only wine, but also phages, and in Georgia, we have accumulated technological experience of about 100 years. Today, phages, or bacteriophages, are the only available alternative to antibiotics, and we can position ourselves as a hub in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
These are two important ways to fully utilize the opportunities and potential that we have in Georgia in the direction of the fight against antibiotic resistance with phage technology,” said Rati Golijashvili, General Manager of BioChimPharm.
The newly modernized plant of the Georgian biopharmaceutical Company “BioChimPharm” is located in the historic Bacteriophage Institute (1934) in Tbilisi and is the first GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified plant in the South Caucasus, which produces sterile forms of medicine and covers the full production cycle.
The 2-year, € 6.5 million project of modernization and EU manufacturing standard compliance of the enterprise was implemented with the support of the European Union, EBRD, local agencies under the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia – “Enterprise Georgia” and “GITA” (Innovation and Technology Agency).
The company “BioChimPharm” is based on the historical phage manufacturing factory that has been producing life-saving phage preparations since 1930s.
The company aims to internationalize its operations, expand its export area beyond region and enable access to life-saving phage preparations for patients suffering from antibiotic resistant infections across the globe. In the next 2-3 years, the Company plans to be represented on the European market with several products, and in the medium term – to make unique Georgian phage preparations available in more than 100 countries.
