Phage Therapy in Korea: A Prescribers' Survey of Attitudes Amongst Korean Infectious Diseases Specialists Towards Phage Therapy.

Abstract

Background: Concerns about the rise in antimicrobial resistance have led to renewed interest in phage therapy worldwide, but perceptions among relevant medical professionals in Korea remain largely unknown.

Materials and methods: We conducted a semi-quantitative online survey to evaluate the Korean infectious disease specialists' perception of phage therapy.

Results: We sent out the link to the questionnaire to 380 subjects and received 91 replies, with 90/91 respondents identifying as Korean infectious diseases specialists or trainees. Ten out of 91 (11.0%) respondents scored themselves as well-informed about phage therapy. The majority (93.4%) of respondents would consider using phage therapy if the safety of the phage formulation is guaranteed, and 80% of respondents would consider participating in clinical trials with phage therapy given adequate support. The biggest concern was uncertainty about safety (73.6%) and efficacy (65.9%). Acinetobacter baumannii was ranked as a high priority for phage therapy research, as were bone and joint infections.

Conclusion: Korean infectious diseases specialists are receptive to phage therapy, but a better understanding of safety, efficacy and clinical trials are warranted to progress phage therapy within the Korean healthcare system.