Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697740314066.pdf (Georgia)
ELIAVA PHAGE THERAPY CENTER We want to welcome you to the Eliava Phage Therapy Center and thank you for giving us the opportunity to be a part of your journey to better health.

It is our goal to collaborate with your local medical team to provide you with the highest quality care possible during your treatment.

We have three missions – patient care, medical education, and research.

We take a team approach to medicine, with you, the patient being the most important member of the team.
No matter how major or minor your needs may be, the needs of our patients and their families are always our first priority.

It is our job to listen and address your concerns.

Our highly skilled and compassionate team is fully committed to your health needs and expectations.

Thank you again for choosing Eliava Phage Therapy Center.

We are honored to serve you.


DAVIT STURUA Director of Eliava Phage Therapy Center About The Eliava Phage Therapy Center he Eliava Institute was established in 1923 by a Georgian microbiologist George Eliava and French Canadian scientist Félix d'Herelle.

Friendship and scientific interest joined these two people, and they committed to establish a new Institute that they hoped would become the World Center of Bacteriophage research.
During the period of the former Soviet Union, one of the largest bacterial and bacteriophage collections had been formed at the Eliava Institute.

A number of effective bacteriophage preparations were elaborated in its scientific laboratories and manufactured commercially by production units within the Institute.
The products of what today is called the Eliava Institute of Bacteriophage, Microbiology, and Virology (IBMV) have been used for prophylaxis and the treatment of human infectious diseases throughout the entire Former Soviet Union, in its public health network and by the military forces.

The Institute survived a variety of serious challenges following the 1991 break-up of the USSR, but has maintained its focus on phage research and application.
The Eliava Phage Therapy Center (EPTC) is an affiliate of the Eliava IBMV, and we are one of the few such centers in the world dedicated to phage therapy.

The Eliava Phage Therapy Center has specialists in the fields of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Urology, Gynecology, Dermatology and offers outpatient surgical and non-surgical consultations where treatment strategies emphasize the use of bacteriophage as the cornerstone of complex medical services addressing bacterial infections.
What are Bacteriophages?

The word phage comes from the Greek ‘phagos’, meaning to eat.

When combined with the root of the word bacteria, it forms “bacteriophage” describing a class of viruses that target and destroy different bacterial species.

Bacteriophages occur naturally and their only known targets are the specific bacterial strains upon which they prey.

When isolated and directed at a target bacterial infection, bacteriophages form an effective tool to destroy specific bacteria.
Bacteriophages are not useful in addressing infections caused by viruses, molds, fungi, parasites, or other non-bacte- rial causes.

Antibiotic Resistant Infections Following their discovery during the 1940s, antibiotics supplanted bacteriophage therapy in the health community’s war on bacterial infections.

However, a growing number of bacteria have become increasingly resistant to antibiotics, creating one of the great global threats to health.
Today, patients visit the Eliava Phage Therapy Center from around the world to combat their antibiotic resistant bacterial infections with the Eliava’s unique therapeutic bacteriophages.

Phage preparations for prophylactic and therapeutic use are prepared with a selection of bacteriophages that target a wide spectrum of specific disease-causing bacteria.
The selection of which phage or cocktail of phages to use on a patient is decided after performing bacteriological analysis on the patient’s clinical samples.

Phage Therapy Hence, bacteriophage therapy is the use of “good” viruses (bacterial viruses) to treat antibiotic resistant or chronic bacterial infections.
The bacteriophage, or bacterial virus acts directly and exclusively on the target bacteria to destroy it through a process called “lysis.” A specific bacteriophage seeks out host bacteria to which it is active, attaching itself to the exterior of the bacterial cell wall, and injecting its DNA into the bacterium.

The phage’s DNA then highjacks the cell’s reproduction mechanism and reprograms it to produce bacteriophage particles.
During this active infection process and after the phage has sufficiently multiplied and assembled phage progeny within the cell, enzymes are released by the phages which “lyse” the outer wall of the bacteria, killing the bacteria and releasing new bacteriophage into the environment to find and attack other bacteria of that type.

Since phages multiply exponentially, a bacterial infection can be decimated in a very short amount of time.
Phage therapy is a viable alternative treatment for bacterial infections in cases where an infection is chronic or where antibiotics have failed to work.

It can be a last resort tool for antibiotic resistant infections.

In particular, bacteria like MRSA, ESBL and CRE and VRE are superbugs that have become the scary reality of today’s world.
Phage can target multiple antibiotic resistant infections and also can prove advantageous in treating infections which cannot be effectively treated with antibiotics due to poor blood circulation or bacterial biofilms because of their ability to travel within wounds and in the body.
Phages also are a helpful solution for the treatment of infections in people with allergies to antibiotics, and – in intestinal infections - help protect the bacterial ecology in the gut (microbiome) due to the phages’ specificity.

Broad spectral antibiotics, in contrast, destroy many good bacteria in the digestive tract.

As phage is a naturally occurring organism, it has the ability to adapt and modify to changing antibiotic resistance.
Being bacteria’s natural predator, therefore, there are great opportunities to discover “new” bacteriophage strains that are effective against those new bacteria.

The G. Eliava Institute of Bacteriophage, Microbiology and Virology in Tbilisi, Georgia is one of the world leaders in phage therapy research, and has an unprecedented collection of bacteriophages which can be utilized for developing custom phage preparations.

Our Vision Our vision is to be a clinic that offers hope to patients in need.
To work as a team of highly qualified professionals to carry out phage therapy in using the best medical practices possible.

Distance treatment package is for those patients who could potentially benefit from phage therapy but are not able to travel because of their health problem.

The clinic can send phages to multiple countries across the globe.

The communication is done over email or by online video consultations (Explained below) WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A DISTANCE TREATMENT PACKAGE?


Standard Distance treatment 1900 Euro Review of case, medical records, initial consultation via email EPTC physician recommendations for treatment 2 -20 day treatment courses with standard phage, or custom phage at additional cost, shipping, Repeat bacteriological analysis Follow up by EPTC team via email DISTANCE PLUS 2200 EURO 1.

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• In order to improve remote clinical service, the Eliava Phage Therapy Center offers a Telemedicine program.
This allows patients and physicians to communicate in real-time while also maintaining HIPAA, GDPR, PHIPA/PIPEDA, &amp HITECH compliance.

Physicians can assess a patient’s medical history, perform evaluations, and more using interactive medicine.

Online consultations are very convenient and make sense if you want to check your medical prescriptions when you don’t have a travelling possibility.
• The distance package, that includes telemedicine consultations cost 2200 Euros and include an initial consultation and a consultation after therapy.

Any additional consultation would cost 100 Euros.


Custom phage is an additional 1400 Euro per bacteria NOT INCLUDED IN PACKAGE (AND IF NECESSARY) • Custom phage (if commercial phages are ineffective) – 1,400 Euro per 20 boxes, per bacterial strain • Custom phage orders cost an additional 1,400 Euro per 20 boxes, per bacteria species (must allow 6-8 weeks to prepare), repeat orders of custom phages cost 400 Euro per 10 boxes per bacteria Custom phage orders are to be paid in advance.
All work on custom phage will commence after confirmation of payment STEPS FOR INITIATING THE PROCESS: 1) Confirm which distance package you would like to proceed with to one of our patient coordinators.
They will request an invoice and send it to you along with a consent form 2) 3) 4) Provide your home address, email, and phone number Review paperwork – agreement of services, informed consent Initiate payment – possible via wire transfer or transferwise.com, please provide payment confirmation to info@eptc.ge 5) 6) Schedule telemedicine appointment Tracking information will be provided to you once the package goes out SUPPLEMENTAL PHAGE • Phages will be provided for first treatment course and to conduct one repeat course of treatment.
• 500 Euro supplementary 24 boxes (standard phage) • Repeat analysis provided at no additional charge after finishing treatment (transportation swabs and instructions will be provided).

Send via DHL, Fed Ex to: Davit Sturua 3 Gotua St. Tbilisi, Georgia 0160 Tel: +995 322 728686 • Parcel declaration should state: “swab” • Contact with questions at info@eptc.ge FAQ WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE INVOLVEMENT OF YOUR LOCAL PHYSICIAN?
• • • Each country has its own regulations for doctors on administration of unregistered medications, Your physician is responsible for making the decision to support treatment with phage.

We appreciate physician collaboration so patients can get the best possible care during phage treatment.

WHICH COUNTRIES CAN YOU SEND PHAGE TO?

We can send to many countries worldwide.

There are some countries where it is not possible to send phage.
For these countries, we are working to find solutions such as collaboration with specialized pharmacies who can facilitate importation with the local customs control.

CAN YOU SEND CUSTOM PHAGE?

In countries with few border restrictions we can mail custom phage (For example UK, US, Canada, Belgium, India).

For most countries where a specialized pharmacy is required, we cannot send the custom phage.