Founder’s Spotlight: Alexandros Pantalis from Phagos

Antibiotic resistance will kill more people than cancer by 2050. It’s set to cost the global economy a staggering $1 trillion. We spoke with Alexandros Pantalis, founder of Phagos, and learned how he's tackling this massive challenge.
His approach? Using bacteriophages that precisely target harmful bacteria without touching the good ones. Think of it like this: Traditional antibiotics are like bulldozers. Phagos's solution is like a precision strike team.

Here are our 6 key takeaways from our conversation:

1. How Phagos Is Taking on the $ trillion Antibiotic-Resistance Problem
In volume, over 70% of antibiotics are consumed by farmed animals. Developing an alternative for that sector is one of the company’s top concerns.
“Our goal is to replace antibiotics where they are the most consumed,” says Alexandros. Phagos’s solution? Bacteriophages that precisely target harmful bacteria without harming the good.

2. Why Precision Targeting Matters in Health
Standard antibiotics act like bulldozers, wiping out both harmful and beneficial bacteria. Phagos uses bacteriophages—“precision tools” that remove only harmful bacteria, preserving the good ones.
Phagos is paving the way for targeted, sustainable alternatives to conventional antibiotics.

3. How Phagos’s ‘Cocktail Finder’ Revolutionizes Speed and Accuracy
The ‘Cocktail Finder’ is Phagos’s secret weapon—AI-driven tech that matches bacteriophages to specific bacterial strains by decoding their DNA and analyzing their in vitro interactions.
“Soon, our technology will output tailored phage therapies in days, not years,” Alexandros explains.

4. Why Phagos’s Personalized Approach Is Unique in Phage Therapy
Unlike others using generic phage cocktails, Phagos tailors treatments to specific bacterial threats. “We’re the only ones creating fully customized phage therapies,” says Alexandros.
By combining classical machine learning, GenAI, and rapid testing, Phagos is cutting development time from years to days.

5. The Surprising Inspiration Behind Phagos
Alexandros first learned about bacteriophages in a documentary, and days later met a phage expert in an entrepreneurship program.
“What are the odds?” he laughs. That chance encounter sparked the journey to founding Phagos.

6. The Power of Focus and Persistence in Innovation
Alexandros learned that innovation often means saying “no” to distractions and staying laser-focused on the mission. “People won’t care right away, and that’s okay,” he reflects.

While others are using generic solutions, Phagos is creating fully customized phage therapies.

They're turning years into days.

And a trillion $ problem into a solvable challenge.