A new cross-border project supported by the Interreg VI-A Italy–Switzerland program has been launched to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing challenge for healthcare systems.
The initiative, named ITCH-AMP, brings together several partners from the Italy–Switzerland region, including the Canton du Valais, Università del Piemonte Orientale (UPO), Precise Health (Platform) and Adamastor Bioservices, with HES-SO Valais-Wallis and BioArk involved as associated organizations.
Addressing infections linked to bacterial biofilms
Antimicrobial resistance represents a major and increasing burden for healthcare systems. In particular, chronic infections associated with bacterial biofilms remain difficult to treat, both in hospital environments and in the community.
Biofilms protect bacteria from conventional antibiotics, significantly reducing treatment efficacy and contributing to persistent infections.
Developing targeted phage-based therapies
The project aims to develop a cross-border biotechnology platform dedicated to the design, production and validation of bacteriophage-based therapies.
These approaches are enhanced through artificial intelligence tools to improve targeting of pathogenic biofilms and optimize therapeutic performance. In particular, the integration of AI-driven phage matching technologies enables rapid selection of the most relevant bacteriophages against specific bacterial strains, significantly reducing the time required to define a treatment. This acceleration is a key step toward making phage-based therapies more accessible and clinically actionable.
The objective is to generate new therapeutic options with potential for clinical application, while supporting industrial transfer and innovation in the region.
Structuring cross-border innovation capacity
Beyond its scientific scope, the project contributes to strengthening collaboration between academic institutions, healthcare actors and technology companies.
By building shared expertise and infrastructure, it supports the development of coordinated innovation capabilities in life sciences across the Italy–Switzerland area.
Kickoff meeting in BioArk Monthey
The project was officially launched during a kickoff meeting held in the BioArk Tech Pack in Monthey, bringing together all project partners.
This first meeting enabled alignment on objectives, governance and the next stages of implementation.
➡️Know more about the project : Progetto ITCH-AMP
About Precise Health
Precise Health (Platform) is a Swiss health technology company developing data-driven approaches to support clinical decision-making.
Its core innovation lies in AI-based phage matching, enabling rapid identification of effective bacteriophages against resistant bacterial infections, including those associated with biofilms. The platform integrates and analyzes complex biomedical data to improve diagnosis and treatment strategies.
By combining biobank resources with advanced data analytics, the platform accelerates the development of personalized and actionable therapeutic solutions.
The company is supported by the incubator of The Ark Foundation and is based at Campus Energypolis in Sion, contributing to the regional life sciences ecosystem.
➡️Know more about the project : Progetto ITCH-AMP
