Infant Bacterial Therapeutics AB (IBT) has secured an exclusive global license from the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) to a technology platform consisting of genetically modified bacteria. IBT will investigate how to develop a pharma grade probiotic based on this platform that addresses the growing problem of hospital acquired infections, which are responsible for high morbidity and mortality rates. Antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerous levels across the world, including hospital acquired infections caused by vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).

VRE infections have become a serious public health challenge linked with the complexities of antibiotic resistance, resulting in 54,000 cases and 5,000 deaths among hospitalized patients in the United States alone.