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.

Cystic Fibrosis Australia and Phage Australia survey: Understanding clinical needs and attitudes towards phage therapy in the CF community

“…Additionally, our survey found there was a strong interest among respondents in learning more about phage therapy, with the majority selecting medical staff as their primary information source. However, it is important to note that medical professionals themselves may require comprehensive education on phage therapy including data from clinical trials, as 42.0% of Australian infectious disease physicians and 38.5% of Korean infectious disease physicians surveyed reported only moderate knowledge about phage therapy 29,30 . A high level of willingness to participate in phage therapy trials was also expressed by survey respondents, with an even higher level of willingness to pursue new therapies if the government provided subsidies for treatment costs.…”