Developing the next-generation
biological drugs for treating wounds
in skin and mucosa
Developing the next-generation
biological drugs for treating wounds
in skin and mucosa
Pod cast Discovery matters, episode 13. Scratched knees, smelly yogurt, and speedy wound healing
We advocate more pharmaceutical products to be tested in clinical trials to meet relevant efficacy endpoints and deliver clinical value in different wound segments.
Ilya Pharma, a clinical stage Swedish company, is developing drug candidates from its own technology platform to PoC in clinical phase I and II.
Human therapeutic proteins are produced at the actual wound site by live lactic acid bacteria acting as mini-bioreactors. This provides a new and cost effective way to deliver biological drugs. The formulation is freezedried with good stability and the lactic acid bacteria are revived immediately prior to use by adding a small volume of buffer solution.
The drug candidates are classified as ATMP or gene therapies by the EMA and FDA and the project is fully compliant.
The innovation stems from cutting edge medical research in immunophysiology and applied microbiology at Uppsala University and the Swedish University of Agriculture. The treatments target the function of tissue-resident immune cells and the mechanism of accelerated healing in skin wounds was published in PNAS 2018.
Unmet clinical needs targeted by ILYA Pharma are treatment of post surgical wounds in special populations, problematic diabetic wounds, and indications in the gastrointestinal tract, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
For wound healing, we expect to deliver clinical value by providing cost efficient biological treatments substantially cheaper than traditional biologicals and with better efficacy than medical devices.
The company is currently running a first in human trial with the lead candidate ILP100, EudraCT No. 2019000680-24 and are planning the phase II program to be conducted under an IND and start in 2020.
Ilya Pharma is today financed by a mix of grants and private funding. The company received a H2020 SME Instrument phase II grant 2018 of 3M Euro. The company is currently raising a Series A for the continued clinical development in phase II from suitable investors and potential partners with proven track record in cell- and gene therapy and biologics.
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Evelina Vågesjö, CEOCo-founder, PhD in physiology, MBA focus Finance and MnA. Developed methods to steer immune cell functions and delineated a new mechanism of action during in tissue regeneration. Have managed the project from initial idea to clinical proof of concept and scaling of the company. |
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Mia Phillipson, CSOCo-founder, facilitator and Professor in Physiology at Uppsala University. Internationally recognized expert in physiology and immunology. Multiple discoveries in Professor Phillipson’s lab have led to clinical initiatives. |
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Peter Frank, COOBackground in the industry of > 15 years working with development of biologics. Previous recent positions were at GE Healthcare and Galderma as project manager project manager being responsible for CMC, taking a compound through the development and critical phases from clinical Phase I to Phase III and setting up manufacturing. |
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Ingemar Kihlström, Chairman of the BoardExtensive experience in finance and drug development at multiple firms including Astra Zeneca and Pharmacia. PhD in physiology/toxicology from Uppsala University. Experience from serving at the board of >30 companies often as chairman. Co-founder of life science companies and managed several licensing deals and IPOs in the industry. |
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