Reykjavik-based Akthelia Pharmaceuticals and the University of Iceland has been awarded a €6 million grant by Horizon Europe to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites cease to respond to medicines, making treatments a challenge. AMR is considered among the major threats to global health as “pan-drug”-resistant strains continue to emerge, causing approximately 5 million deaths per year.
In order to counteract this issue, the EU-funded IN-ARMOR project is being launched into motion, led by Aktelia and the University of Iceland. Joining forces with several universities and companies across Europe, the main goal of the project is to develop a new type of drug that can boost the body’s own immune response, also known as “innate immunity”. This could address infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi via nanotechnology and computer-aided drug design.
The team hopes the drug could eventually be used by itself, not just in combination with current treatments, potentially saving long-term €107 billion in antibiotics development and contributing to better global heath by reducing the disease burden by 97 million DALYs (years of life lost due to premature mortality).
Akthelia Pharmaceuticals is a Reykjavík based pharmaceutical company that specialises in research on innate immunity and antimicrobial peptides. The University of Iceland, another member of the project team, is one of the owners of Akthelia and will form a major part of the research and development.
Guðmundur Hrafn Guðmundsson is a professor at the University of Iceland and the Chief Scientific Officer at Akthelia Pharmaceuticals. He is a driving force behind the IN-ARMOR project; with his research on innate immunity and antimicrobial peptides, he’s leading the way for a potential panacea to the world’s most pertinent health issue. Guðmundsson is hopeful that the project’s research can lead to the development of revolutionary new treatments that can save countless lives.
