In the Innovations-Award 2020/2021 survey conducted by the ÖGVS, a member of the Consumer Guidance Group, APEPTICO ranks top in innovation power in the IPC classes A61 (Medical Science) and C07 (Organic Chemistry) in Austria following a detailed analysis of its patent and innovation status. In both categories, APEPTICO received scores far above average, and is within the 10 most innovative companies in these areas.
APEPTICO is a privately-held biotechnology company from Vienna, Austria, developing innovative medicinal products for the treatment of acute and life-threatening pulmonary dysfunctions, such as severe respiratory failure, oedematous respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), primary graft dysfunction (PGD), high altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE) and pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1B (PHA1B). APEPTICO’s development medicines are peptide-like molecules manufactured by organic chemistry.
APEPTICO has the capacity to design these peptides, engineers the synthesis strategy, and proposes the medical use of peptide therapeutic molecules in a variety of life-threatening clinical indications.
APEPTICO’s lead compound, the therapeutic molecule solnatide (INN), is being developed by APEPTICO for the treatment of various forms of life-threatening acute pulmonary dysfunction and pulmonary oedema in ARDS patients. In 2013, APEPTICO successfully completed a phase I clinical study in healthy subjects, proving the safety of solnatide. APEPTICO subsequently successfully completed two phase II clinical studies, one a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial using inhaled solnatide in mechanically-ventilated ARDS patients with lung oedema, the other a randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study in patients suffering from primary graft dysfunction (PGD) following lung transplantation. Currently, solnatide is being tested for the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients following infection with the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
Commenting on the achievement, Bernhard Fischer, CEO of APEPTICO, stated: "I am very proud to lead such an outstanding research and development team, full of innovative spirit and creative ideas.”
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About APEPTICO
APEPTICO Forschung und Entwicklung GmbH (“APEPTICO”) is a privately-held development stage biotechnology company with offices in Vienna, Austria, developing peptide-based products targeting life-threatening pulmonary diseases, including oedematous respiratory failure, acute lung injury, primary graft dysfunction, high altitude pulmonary oedema and PHA type 1. The peptide molecules correspond to validated, pharmacodynamic active structures and domains of proteins and biopharmaceuticals. By concentrating on synthetically produced protein structures APEPTICO avoids general risks associated with gene- and cell-technologies. APEPTICO makes use of its technology platforms PEPBASE(TM) and PEPSCREEN(TM) to significantly reduce cost and shorten time to market.
About solnatide
Solnatide (laboratory code AP301) is a synthetic molecule entirely composed of naturally occuring amino acids. It is manufactured by organic chemistry to the highest quality. Solnatide IMP has been designed for activation of the pulmonary epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) and for the restoration of the injured endothelial-epithelial barrier of pulmonary alveoli.
APEPTICO’s investigational compound solnatide (INN) was originally designed for the therapeutic treatment of patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and various forms of lifethreatening pulmonary permeability oedema (PPO). Orally inhaled solnatide IMP has completed a firstin-man (FIM) Phase I clinical study (EUDRACT No. 2011-000223-33), and has delivered clinical proofof-concept in a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded Phase II clinical study (EUDRACT No. 2012-001863-64) as well as in a Phase II pilot study (EUDRACT No. 2013-000716-21) in patients suffering from pneumonia, sepsis, ARDS, Primary Graft Dysfunction, and other causes of lifethreatening pulmonary dysfunction. Currently, solnatide is being tested in a phase IIB clinical study for the treatment of life-threatening pulmonary permeability (EUDRACT No. 2017-003855-47), and is being used for the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients following infection with the new corona virus (SARS-CoV-2).