Akthelia has enlisted Steingrímur Stefánsson in the role of Senior Scientist. Steingrímur (Stenni) finished a Ph.D. Degree in molecular biochemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1990 and has worked in senior roles for various biotech companies in the US since then. 

He has extensive experience in protein purification, protein modifications, protein-protein interactions, proteinases, their inhibitors. 

He also has a wide experience in cancer cell biology and assay development https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Steingrimur-Stefansson

Akathelia together with co-founder prof. Guðmundur Hrafn Guðmundsson has been awarded a RANNÍS grant from the Applied Research projects (Hagnýt rannsóknarverkefni) for the initial development of a novel wound healing technology. The total grant amounts to 45 mISK over three years.

Akthelia has closed an angel-led funding round. 12 new shareholders, many of whom are angel investors with pharma industry background, bought shares for a total of 31,5 mISK. In addition, Nýsköpunarsjóður atvinnulífsins extended and converted a bond amounting to 10,8 mISK to shares, bringing the total round to just over 42 mISK. 

We would like to thank the new shareholders for their trust and for joining us on our journey. Many of the new shareholders have a background in pharmaceutics and bring a valuable network along. The plan for the investment is to fund immediate value increasing activities for Akthelia, including preliminary tox and PK for AKT-013 and achieving proof of concept in an established animal model. However, in June 2019 RANNÍS selected Akthelia for a grant from their Vöxtur program. Total grant is 46 mISK over two years.  

RANNÍS has awarded Akthelia a grant from their Vöxtur program. Total grant is 46 mISK over two years. This grant increases greatly the scope of Akthelia’s development program. Akthelia’s main current goal is to show proof of concept in an established animal infection model. 

Akthelia has developed and patented a class of small molecules that modulate the body’s innate immunity, leading to elimination of bacteria and clearing of infections. Instead of administering antibiotics, Akthelia’s approach acts like a switch that turns on our innate antimicrobial defences and strengthens epithelial cell walls and has been shown to work against multiple pathogens, including resistant ones. The compounds might constitute the first broad spectrum antibiotic that does not negatively impact the body’s internal bacterial flora.

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.