Aqilion strengthens the company’s Alnitak pharmaceutical project in chronic inflammation through closer collaboration with Örebro University researchers

Aqilion announced today that the company has initiated an expanded collaborative effort with Professor Eva Särndahl and Senior Lecturer Alexander Persson at the School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University in Sweden.

Aqilion focuses on diseases in which chronic inflammation is an important component in the disease process. Inflammation is one of the body’s defense mechanisms against harmful factors such as bacteria, viruses, or mechanical damage to cells. There are various types of inflammatory conditions. Inflammation may be acute in nature, such as when fighting a viral infection. Or it may be more prolonged in nature, with a chronic component that in itself can lead to severe disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, diseases of the central nervous system such as Alzheimer’s, and even certain types of cancer.

The collaboration with the research group at Örebro University focuses on inflammasomes, protein complexes that form central components in our innate immune system. Inflammasomes play an important role by producing inflammatory substances, which govern the inflammatory process that recruits immune cells to areas of infection. Alnitak, which is one of Aqilion’s early pharmaceutical projects, is being developed for the purpose of affecting inflammasomes in a way that dampens the inflammatory process. This collaborative effort provides both parties with new knowledge concerning the biological function and impact of inflammasomes on chronic inflammatory diseases.

“I’m extremely happy that we will have the opportunity to work together with Eva and Alexander and their research group. Following our initial joint preclinical studies, we have now decided to dedicate more resources to our expanded collaborative effort. By working together to expand our knowledge concerning the biology of inflammasomes, we will be able to verify the characteristics of our drug candidates in an efficient and professional external research environment, while also gaining new knowledge and ideas to continue the development of our pipeline,” says Sarah Fredriksson, CEO of AQILION.

“Our research is strengthened through external collaboration in various networks, within both academia and industry. This approach fosters creativity, expands knowledge and opens new doors for younger colleagues who are pursuing careers as researchers. We are therefore pleased about Aqilion’s interest in expanding our exchange of knowledge and coproduction regarding inflammasomes and their function,” says Eva Särndahl, Professor at the School of Medical Sciences at Örebro University.

For more information, please contact
Sarah Fredriksson, CEO, AQILION AB, + 46 (0)70 261 4575, sarah.fredriksson@aqilion.com

About Aqilion
Aqilion is a biotech company that focuses on developing new innovative treatments for diseases caused by chronic inflammation and dysfunctional immune reactions such as autoimmune diseases. The company is mainly active in the early phases of drug discovery, from idea to early clinical development.

Aqilion combines its experience from major pharmaceutical companies with the drive and entrepreneurship of small growth companies. With solid experience of business development in innovative biotech and pharmaceutical companies, Aqilion’s experienced team and board have successfully shepherded drugs all the way from discovery to market.

AQILION AB (publ) is a Swedish public limited company headquartered in Helsingborg, Sweden. www.aqilion.com

About iRiSC
Eva Särndahl and Alexander Persson conduct their research at the Inflammatory Response and Infection Susceptibility Centre (iRiSC), launched in 2013 by researchers in the field of inflammation/infectious diseases at Örebro University and Örebro University Hospital in collaboration with national and international research colleagues. Their research focuses on a translational approach in which biomedicine and clinical experience work together in several disciplines, including bacteria and particle-induced inflammation and central disease mechanisms and signal systems within our innate immune system.
The goal of this research is to understand the mechanisms of the immune system, with special focus on regulation of inflammasomes, so as to be able to use this knowledge to develop strategies of modulating the body’s innate mechanisms in the face of dysregulated, insufficient, or exaggerated inflammatory response. www.oru.se/iRiSC