Development and commercialization of antibiotic alternatives: phages and nutraceuticals for Pakistan poultry production

In the past two decades, Pakistan’s poultry production has undergone tremendous modernization. The country currently ranks as the eighth largest poultry producer in the world, but there is growing concern about the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, the risk of antibiotic resistance, and the implications for public health.

There is a need for novel, effective, and affordable alternatives to traditional antibiotics, but developing such alternatives for poultry production is complicated because the drugs are used for wide-ranging purposes, including treatment, prevention, and improved growth.

This project will develop new technologies that will collectively replace the benefits of antibiotics in poultry production in Pakistan. It aims to design and implement platforms that promote the rapid development of phage-based (viral) and nutraceutical-based (agro-waste) alternatives to antibiotics that limit bacterial infections and improve growth.

The project will also define a framework to facilitate the commercial and clinical introduction of these technologies into Pakistan’s poultry production. The objective is to reduce reliance on antibiotics and transition to alternatives that enhance poultry health and efficiency without a concomitant risk to public health.