Aptahem’s collaboration with the research group at the University Health Network in Toronto, has now resulted in a publication in the scientific journal Cells. BioStock reached out to Aptahem’s CEO Mikael Lindstam to find out more about what this means for the company.

Aptahem’s lead candidate Apta-1 is being developed as an emergency drug for sepsis, with the aim of preventing the occurrence of life-threatening organ and tissue damage that can occur in connection with the condition.

Collaboration with researchers in Toronto

In 2020, thanks to a research proposal initiative of Dr Luiza Jedlina, Aptahem’s CSO and founder, the company initiated a collaboration with a research group at the University Health Network in Toronto. The study is led by Professor Mingyao Liu together with Dr Jedlina. The collaboration has included several study steps in a Covid-induced SARS-model. According to Aptahem, the virus used in the studies is about 10 times deadlier virus than the one that causes COVID-19.

In 2021, the collaboration generated encouraging data, which showed positive biological effects that, according to Aptahem. The data included evidence that Apta-1 supports and maintains systemic circulation, a very important part of protecting the organism in e.g. sepsis. Furthermore, it was found that Apta-1 significantly reduces bleeding in the lung tissue and inhibits hemolysis and inflammatory response while keeping vital organs stable.

The CEO comments on the publication in Cells

Aptahem has previously announced that it has been in the process of completing a manuscript describing the progress, to publish this in a scientific journal. Yesterday it was announced that the Swiss scientific journal Cells – with an impact factor of 6 – 7 – had accepted and published the manuscript.

The article can be read here: “Therapeutic effects of a novel aptamer on coronaviral infection induced lung injury and systemic inflammatory responses.”

BioStock reached out to Aptahem’s CEO Mikael Lindstam to get his view on what the publication means in the long term for the company.

Mikael, what does it mean to you to have an article published in Cells?

– Yes, it is of course a strong sign of value to have been assessed for publication through peer reviewed by renowned experts and their editorial team. Since we are at the forefront of this type of new and multi-efficient candidate, it is expected that the burden of proof and more requires significantly greater data to gain understanding so that it leads to publication. This opens up the opportunity for us to refer to ourselves in other scientific articles we are working on, and thus facilitate the acceptance of the fine and positively complex results we have generated over the years.

What are the main conclusions that can be drawn from the article?

– The fact that we can have a protective and supportive effect on virus-generated acute lung conditions and as a bonus also see that we can reduce the amount of virus was something we could not have predicted. The results also resonate with those we have from our bacterial toxin (LPS) stimulated sepsis models, which of course is a testament to Apta-1’s ability to handle severe inflammatory conditions.

Can the publication to any extent affect your ongoing discussions with potential partners?

– Yes, we really hope so, as it is an acknowledgment of what we have previously announced about our results assessed by independent experts. It is also likely to be positive for continued clinical collaborations as well as scientific collaborations.

Finally, what milestones do you see ahead for the rest of 2024?

– First and foremost, that we reach the finish line with the report of phase Ia and before that preliminary results of this study, which is in its final phase, planning of the next clinical development step and potentially more publications from the extensive harvest of results we have generated.

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