The focus of the 2019 Gordon Conference on Antimicrobial Peptides is utilizing our knowledge of mechanisms of AMP action, and mining species diversity to advance application to global infection challenges, including the threat of antimicrobial resistance, and sharing experience of translating fundamental research to commercial development and clinical practice.

Akthelia is strongly represented at this conference.

2018, Peter Bergman, Akthelia's clinical advisor, received research support from the Swedish Foundation To Prevent Antibiotic Resistance. The foundation's website featured an interview with Peter which can be found here.

Akthelia has been selected as a finalist for the Science 2 Startup event which will be held in Cambridge, Massachusetts in April. This will be an all-day symposium with a keynote speaker, poster sessions, and panel discussions to help facilitate better relationships between PIs / TTOs and investors in the biotech community. https://www.science2startup.com/ 

Sarker P, Banik A, Stromberg R, Gudmundsson GH, Raqib R, Agerberth B. 2017. Treatment with Entinostat Heals Experimental Cholera by Affecting Physical and Chemical Barrier Functions of Intestinal Epithelia. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2017 Jun 27;61(7). pii: e02570-16. doi:10.1128/AAC.02570-16. Print 2017 Jul. PMID: 28438947

Article in Icelandic - general introduction to Akthelia and its compounds. 

A clinical trial performed by a consortium involving Akthelia’s founders has been completed. The trial involved 288 participants and tested one of Akthelia’s actives in combination with traditional antibiotics. The results show that Akthelia’s APIs improved clinical score and other clinical markers of Tuberculosis over using the traditional antibiotics alone. The results have been published in PLOS One (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26394045).

Akthelia is very proud to announce that Dr. Stefán Jökull Sveinsson has joined Akthelia’s board of directors. Dr. Sveinsson was Executive Vice President-Research & Development at Actavis for over 15 years where he directed drug development. Prior to that, he directed drug development at Delta and was a professor in Pharmacology at the University of Iceland. After leaving Actavis he has worked as an independent advisor in the pharmaceutical industry.

Akthelia has applied for a patent for a novel class of pharmaceutically active ingredients (APIs) that induce the expression of antibacterial peptides. These APIs are small molecules that activate production of the antibacterial peptides in cell and animal models. Efficacy has been shown against Shigella and Vibrio cholera infections in rabbits.

Jón Ingi Benediktsson has joined Akthelia as General Manager. Jón Ingi has extensive experience in biotech investments. He was the CEO of Líftæknisjóðurinn (MP Bio) from November 2000 – April 2005, then he served as Director for the Akureyri University Research and Innovation Center. From January 2008 he was member of SEED Capital, the largest early stage venture fund in Denmark, life science investment team as Investment Manager and later on as Investment Director, responsible for their overall early stage life science investments. Akthelia is looking forward to having him on board.

Birgitta Agerberth, Director of Medical Microbial Pathogenesis of Akthelia Pharmaceuticals was one of two vice-chairs of the conference and also acted as a Discussion Leader during the session on „Understanding biology through the AMPs“. Guðmundur Hrafn Guðmundsson, Chairman of Akthelia‘s board of directors was a discussion leader during the session on „Regulation of AMP expression“ and presented his work in a poster. The participation of Drs Agerberth and Guðmundsson in the conference further establishes their leading role in the field of antibacterial peptides.