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Amferia announced findings that antibiotic-resistant bacteria can regain its sensitivity to antibiotics when combined with the company’s peptide-hydrogel. Results of a collaboration between Chalmers University of Technology and Amferia show that antibiotics can have a 64 times higher bactericidal effect when used together with Amferia’s proprietary material, whose antibacterial properties are also greatly enhanced by this combination.
Peptides have long been known to possess potent antimicrobial properties, destroying bacteria by disrupting the integrity of cell membranes rather than by chemical processes. Until recently, the problem with applying peptides to medical needs like wound care has been their fragility. Peptides are easily destroyed by naturally occurring enzymes and salts in the body. Amferia’s innovation is a hydrogel material that protects the peptides without compromising their bacteria-destroying structures.
In order for this material to be used clinically--in combination with standard treatments like antibiotics, for example—researchers had to ensure that the hydrogel does not negatively affect the antibiotic's effectiveness when used simultaneously.
The new findings demonstrate the peptide-hydrogel’s substantial potential for applications in various medical devices and infection treatments.
The study produced surprisingly positive results: when applied in concert with Amferia hydrogel, the effectiveness of antibiotics tested was elevated significantly. Drug synergism is defined as the combined effect of different drugs, where the resulting effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. Chalmers researchers discovered exactly that synergism when using the peptide material and antibiotics together against certain antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This had not been shown before.
The peptide material was evaluated in combination with two different antibiotics, oxacillin and vancomycin. The bacteria involved in the trials were two types of staphylococci (S. aureus), one of which is resistant to multiple antibiotics.
The most powerful effect in the study was measured against the multi-resistant S. aureus. When the Amferia hydrogel was combined with oxacillin, an antibiotic to which S. aureus had developed a resistance, the combination of hydrogel and oxacillin lowered the effective concentration of oxacillin 64-fold compared to when the antibiotic was used alone. At concentrations below the level where bacteria are classified as resistant, oxacillin regained its effectiveness against the bacteria.
The significance of being on the list a second time highlights Amferia's continued growth and increasing market potential. It suggests that the company has not only managed to sustain its initial success but has also demonstrated the ability to expand and strengthen its position within the industry. Being recognized again reflects a track record of strong performance, innovation, or strategic decisions that make Amferia a promising company for future growth.
Being recognized a second-time by Ny Teknik’s 33-listan is a significant milestone for Amferia, underscoring our progress in bringing a critical, technology-driven healthcare innovation to market,” stated the Amferia team. “This achievement is also a testament to the collaboration and support from our clinical partners who have recognized the vital role our technology can play in addressing a global healthcare threat.”
Ny Teknik has been recognizing Sweden’s most innovative and promising tech companies through its “33-listan” since 2008.
Read the full coverage from Ny Teknik
Amferia has been awarded the Red Dot Award for its elevator pitch logotype in the Brand & Communication Design category. The new logo describes the company’s innovation and purpose in three words: Amferia kills bacteria.
”The award highlights our commitment to addressing bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance. Amferia’s innovation contributes to the solution, but we also have to communicate that in an innovative way to reach a global audience.” says Anand Rajasekharan, CEO and co-founder of Amferia.
The Red Dot Award, established in 1955, honours outstanding achievements in product design, communication, and design concepts. The Brand & Communication Design category honors products and services demonstrating design excellence in areas such as communication, branding, advertising, and packaging.
"Our design philosophy effectively communicates our mission and, at the same time makes the public aware of a growing global problem. Bacterial infections are likely to surpass cancer and heart disease as the number one cause of human deaths in the future, largely due to increasing bacterial resistance to commonly used antibiotics”, says Anand Rajasekharan.
Amferia’s technology enables for the first time the safe and stable use of antimicrobial peptides, allowing them to kill bacteria—even resistant strains—without harming the surrounding body cells.
“We are essentially mimicking the body’s own immune system to fight infections in wounds to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics," says Anand Rajasekharan
To add a sense of urgency to the logo, we chose a red dot as a symbol. It’s widely recognised as a stop symbol signal and also reminds physicians and surgeons about round microscopic photos of dead bacteria. For them, the red colour indicates dead bacteria”, says Anders Eklind, Amferia’s art director.
Amferia kills bacteria – the technology
Antimicrobial peptides are known for their ability to kill bacteria due to their positive electrostatic charge, which attracts the negatively charged bacteria. This allows peptides to puncture bacterial membranes and destroy the cells. However, their fragility in biological environments has been a major challenge to developing peptides as a viable treatment—naturally occurring enzymes in the human body can destroy them within seconds.
Amferia's patented hydrogel platform addresses this challenge for the first time by encasing the peptides in a solid protective gel. This design shields the vulnerable facets of peptides from natural enzymes while allowing their bacteria-killing structures to remain exposed and active. The hydrogel is then applied to wounds with topical dressings, meaning it is a medical device, which reduces the time for clinical studies.
Amferia design team – Red Dot:
Account managers: Anand Rajasekharan, Saba Atefyekta
Design: Anders Eklind, Björn Engström, Jonas Cederolm
Read more about the award here
About Red Dot Design Award
The origins of the Red Dot Design Award date back to 1955. Its distinction, the Red Dot, is established internationally as one of the most sought-after quality marks for good design. From products, brand communication and creative projects to design concepts and prototypes, the Red Dot Award documents the most prominent trends worldwide. The award-winning designs are showcased in exhibitions around the globe and in the Red Dot Design Museums in Essen, Singapore and Xiamen as well as in yearbooks and online.
The Chalmers Impact Award this year goes to the company Amferia, founded by Professor Martin Andersson and his former doctoral students Saba Atefyekta and Anand Kumar Rajasehkaran. After discovering that Anand Kumar Rajasehkaran's research on synthetic bones could be combined with Saba Atefyekta's work on antibacterial peptides, the work began. Together with Martin Andersson's extensive experience in materials research, the team started developing methods to apply the antibacterial substances to various surfaces, such as plasters.
"The aim was to develop new materials that can prevent infections without using antibiotics, thereby reducing the risk of bacteria developing antibiotic resistance," says Martin Andersson.
Read the full interview here
About the Chalmers Impact Award
Chalmers impact award is intended to encourage researchers to actively work with utilization of their research for societal impact and to make these efforts visible within both academia and society in general.
The Snögg BactiDefend Dressing, a new product in animal wound care using Amferia’s proprietary antimicrobial technology, has been launched for professional veterinary use across several European countries.
The introduction of BactiDefend is the result of a partnership between Amferia and Orkla Wound Care, released under Orkla’s Snögg Animal Care brand. This collaboration aims to address the growing need for effective wound care and bacterial reduction in wounds of both small and large animals, especially in the light of increasing concerns over antibiotic-resistant infections.
Amferia has conducted extensive clinical testing throughout Europe, receiving positive feedback from veterinary clinics. “Veterinarians report reduced bacterial load and enhanced wound healing with this new product,” says Anand Rajasekharan, CEO of Amferia.
“I would like to emphasize that Orkla Wound Care's expertise supports Amferia’s goal of combating antibiotic-resistant infections in animals. The BactiDefend dressing represents a joint effort in combining advanced technology and commercial strategy aimed at meeting significant market needs in animal health”
Read more about BactiDefend.
Amferia technology—inspired by the immune system
Antimicrobial peptides are known for their ability to kill bacteria due to their positive electrostatic charge, which attracts the negatively charged bacteria. This allows peptides to puncture bacterial membranes and destroy the cells. However, their fragility in biological environments has been a major challenge to developing peptides as a viable treatment—naturally occurring enzymes in the human—or animal—body can destroy them within seconds.
Amferia's patented hydrogel platform addresses this challenge for the first time by encasing the peptides in a solid protective hydrogel. This design shields the vulnerable facets of peptides from natural enzymes while allowing their bacteria-killing structures to remain exposed and active. The hydrogel is then applied to wounds with topical dressings, meaning it can be used as a medical device, which reduces the need for time-consuming clinical trials.
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About Orkla Wound Care
Orkla Wound Care has a long tradition of developing, manufacturing and distributing market-leading products within wound care and first aid. Orkla Wound Care is a part of the Orkla group, a publicly listed company on the Norwegian Stock Exchange. Orkla Group is known for its active portfolio management targeting fast-growing consumer segments and markets.
About Snögg Animal Care
Snögg Animal Care has more than 40 years of experience in animal wound care. Developed in co-operation with veterinarians and animal wound care experts, their products are intended for animal use, with a focus on animal well-being. Learn more at https://snogg.com
Amferia announces the successful completion of its latest investment round, boosting its mission to combat wound infections. During 2024, Amferia has signed important commercial agreements with leading animal health companies in Europe for commercialization of the company’s proprietary technology — a wound dressing for animals that also kills resistant bacteria.
The round was over prescribed and spearheaded by existing owners and new investors. The funding will support the advancement of clinical development within Human Health and further the commercialization of Amferia’s pipeline built on its proprietary platform, designed to protect and utilize antimicrobial peptides to combat bacterial infections. Amferia has already entered the animal health segment and signed commercial agreements with leading animal health companies in Europe such as Orkla Wound Care AB and Biokema SA, to introduce a wound dressing that also kills resistant bacteria.
"Bacterial infections are likely to surpass cancer and heart disease as a number one cause of human deaths in the future, and this is largely due to resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Our hydrogel technology enables the safe and stable use of antimicrobial peptides, allowing them to effectively target bacteria without harming surrounding tissue. Essentially, we are using antimicrobial peptides to mimic the immune system and reduce the unnecessary use for antibiotics," says Anand Rajasekharan, CEO and co-founder of Amferia. “Antibiotics are absolutely essential. Without them, we cannot survive. We aim to support the existing arsenal against bacteria. We need a support system for antibiotics and antimicrobials. Our technology is not about replacing antibiotics but helping healthcare professionals use them more effectively,”
“I am very grateful to our owners for investing in Amferia and in our vision of reducing resistant antimicrobial infections globally. I want to say a big thank you to our existing owners for your continued support as well as welcoming our new investors. We look forward to building the future together.” says Agneta Edberg, chairman of Amferia. “Amferia's first product using our proprietary technology platform is a wound dressing for Animal Health, offering a new solution for treating wounds and preventing infections in veterinary applications. The company aims to launch further products soon, using our platform in Human Health to provide new treatments for patients at risk of skin and wound infections, also resistant, which makes our technology part of the future solutions.”
Antimicrobial peptides are known for their ability to kill bacteria due to their positive electrostatic charge, which attracts the negatively charged bacteria. This allows the peptides to puncture bacterial membranes and destroy the cells. However, their fragility in natural biological environments has been a major challenge, as enzymes in the human body can destroy these peptides within seconds. Amferia’s hydrogel is a flexible solution that can be adapted to applications where killing bacteria is critical—with the added advantage that it kills even resistant bacteria.
Amferia's patented hydrogel platform addresses this challenge by encasing the peptides in a solid gel, keeping them stable. This design protects the peptides from natural enzymes, allowing their bacteria-killing structures to remain active. The hydrogel is applied in wound dressings, meaning it does not have to be ingested, reducing the need for time-consuming clinical trials.
Swedish medtech company Amferia, with a mission to combat infections globally, announces the signing of its second commercial agreement. The contract is with the leading Swiss animal health company Biokema SA for commercialization of Amferia’s proprietary wound care technology for Animal Health in Switzerland — a wound dressing for animals that kills bacteria even resistant bacteria.
Anand Rajasekharan, CEO of Amferia — “Biokema’s market leadership in animal health will spearhead Amferia’s vision of reducing antibiotic resistant wound infections in animal health in Switzerland. We are inspired by this partnership, which will bring our innovation together with a leading distributor to a market where there is considerable need for improved and cost effective solutions. Amferia’s innovation has already received strong interest and positive feedback from veterinarians from across Europe, who immediately notice the potential of our new proprietary antimicrobial material within wound and infection management.”
The joint partnership with Biokema will enable Amferia’s technology to reach veterinary patients in Switzerland where wound care and infection prevention is of prime importance. With the growing threat of antibiotic resistant infections globally, Amferia and Biokema’s partnership will build on extensive data collection and feedback from Amferia’s clinical testing across Europe, including Switzerland. The joint efforts aim to market the products starting early 2025.
Dr. Julia Golaz, Commercial Director of Biokema — “ Rapidly providing innovative therapeutic solutions to veterinarians is a priority challenge for Biokema. The partnership with Amferia will allow us to offer to Swiss veterinarians a new technology to reduce antibiotic-resistant wound infections and antibiotic use.
Biokema thus continues to be part of the strategy on antibiotic resistance, essential to sustainably preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics and once again demonstrates its commitment to veterinarians for better care of animals. We are delighted with this partnership with Amferia, based on a shared vision and motivation.”
For more information, please contact:
Anand Kumar Rajasekharan, CEO, Amferia AB, anandk@amferia.com, +46 (0) 76 298 12 38.
Dr. Julia Golaz, Commercial Director, Biokema SA, jgolaz@biokema.ch, + 41 (0) 79 815 86 47
About Biokema
Biokema SA, founded in 1959, is a Swiss company specializing in the supply of pharmaceuticals and veterinary products. Entirely owned by Swiss shareholders, Biokema SA focuses on delivering its own brands while also partnering with international leaders in animal nutrition and veterinary medical devices. With a constantly evolving product portfolio, recognized technical expertise, and customer relationships built on a strong history and trust, Biokema SA has established itself as an essential partner in veterinary medicine.
Amferia, specializing in antimicrobial peptide-hydrogel materials, and Medspray, a spray nozzle company renowned for its expertise in micro droplet spray technology, announce our joint success in securing a Eureka Eurostars grant. This grant will support our collaborative efforts to develop an advanced antimicrobial spray for wound care.
“With the growing need for new antimicrobial technologies to address bacterial infections, Amferia’s spray will be an important tool to fight life-threatening bacterial infections in skin and woundcare. The Eurostars funding is an important enabler for Amferia to accelerate the spray product development. We are inspired by the partnership with Medspray whose state-of-the-art microdroplet spray technology will be a key success factor for delivering the Amferia technology to patients in need across the globe ” - Anand Rajasekharan, CEO of Amferia.
The Eurostars program, dedicated to fostering collaborative research and development projects among SMEs across Europe, has awarded this prestigious grant to Sweden based Amferia AB and Netherlands based Medspray BV. This partnership underscores the shared commitment of both companies to leverage cutting-edge technologies and expertise to address a pressing healthcare challenge namely antimicrobial resistance.
Titled SURPAS (Treatment of SURgical wounds with a novel, innovative Peptide-hydrogel Antimicrobial wound Spray ), this project will focus on developing the spray, initially for surgical wound care with the ambition of infection prevention. The antimicrobial spray will harness the potent antimicrobial properties of peptide materials, offering a safe and targeted approach to preventing infections in wound care settings. Coupled with Medspray’s expertise in precision spray technology, the solution aims to deliver the peptide-hydrogel as micro droplet spray with optimal coverage and penetration, ensuring rapid and effective antimicrobial action without disturbing wound healing.
Han van Egmond, CEO of Medspray — “The combination of a low energy actuated, slow moving, fine mist combined with an antimicrobial peptide hydrogel, offers a potential solution for the fast growing antimicrobial resistance of bacteria, thereby contributing to patient comfort and reducing the related treatment costs.”
The Eurostars grant provides a significant boost to the collaborative efforts of Amferia and Medspray, enabling them to accelerate the development of their innovative antimicrobial spray for wound care. Beyond financial support, the grant opens doors to collaborative opportunities, knowledge exchange, and strategic partnerships within the European innovation ecosystem.
About Amferia
Amferia has developed a technology that kills 99,99% of bacteria, even resistant bacteria, without harming the body. The innovation is based on amphiphilic hydrogel with increased clinical stability, a material created after years of research in collaboration with Chalmers University ofTechnology in Sweden. Amferia’s first product offer is a wound-care dressing suitable for dry-to-low exuding wounds. The company’s anti-microbial platform solution can also be used on a wide range of wound care products, addressing antimicrobial solutions from minor skin injuries and post-operative wounds to chronic wounds, trauma, and burn wounds. Read more about the products, team, technology and publications at www.amferia.com
About Medspray
Medspray is a privately owned company in Enschede, theNetherlands. With its 40 employees Medspray focuses on the development and manufacturing of micro spray nozzles which creates an ultra-soft mist. Medspray’s slogan is: ‘tiny technology for a sustainable future.’ Medspray aims to contribute to a sustainable world by developing innovative spray nozzles for user-friendly health and physical care products. The applications for the Medspray ranges from soft mist inhalation products that will require small and slow moving droplets up to target the lungs, as well as to the Beauty, Home andPersonal care segments like fine fragrance sprays where larger droplets or aerosols are required. www.medspray.com
About Eurostars
Eurostars is a European funding program dedicated to supporting collaborative R&D projects led by SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) across Europe. By fostering innovation, collaboration, and cross-border partnerships, Eurostars aims to drive economic growth, strengthen competitiveness, and promote technological advancement within the European innovation ecosystem.
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For more information, please contact:
Anand Kumar Rajasekharan, CEO, Amferia AB, anandk@amferia.com, +46 762 981 238.
Han van Egmond, CEO, Medspray BV, han@medspray.com, +31 6 51 74 60 26
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Amferia AB welcomes Dr. Christian Nees, veterinary surgeon and wound specialist, as Clinical Advisor for Animal Wound Care.
Dr. Nees is a veterinary surgeon with 35 years of experience in surgery and wound care. He was previously the head of Animal Health Hospital in Weingarten (Kleintierzentrum Weingarten), Germany. Today, he coaches colleagues and wound care specialists in veterinary care. A leading voice in animal health in Germany, Dr. Nees built and led Kleintierzentrum Weingarten as one of the best hospitals for small animals in Germany. Dr. Nees will support and advise the Animal Health team at Amferia with medical and clinical affairs and clinical testing for further development and strengthening of Amferia’s portfolio of Animal wound care products.
Anand Kumar Rajasekharan, CEO of Amferia− “It is a true honour to welcome Dr. Nees as an Advisor to Amferia. Amferia has had the privilege of collaborating with Dr. Nees on clincal testing over the last 4 years and his guidance has been important for our product development. We now look forward to jointly enable good products for addressing wound care in animal health.
Amferia has recently signed an exclusive Animal Health Private Label License and Purchase Agreement with Orkla Wound Care covering the Nordic region, Germany, Spain and Portugal for a period of 3 years with a possibility for extension.
Anand Rajasekharan, CEO of Amferia — “Orkla Wound Care’s market leadership in wound care will spearhead Amferia’s vision of addressing antibiotic resistant wound infections in animal health. We are inspired by this partnership, which will bring our innovation together with a leading brand to a market where there is considerable need for new solutions. Amferia’s innovation has already received strong interest and positive feedback from veterinarians from across Europe, who immediately notice the potential of our new antimicrobial material within wound and infection management.”
The joint partnership with Orkla Wound Care will enable Amferia’s technology, through Orkla leading brand Snögg Animal Care, to reach the wider European veterinary market where wound care and infection prevention is of prime importance. This has been intensified with the growing threat of antibiotic resistant infections. Amferia and Orkla Wound Care’s partnership will build on extensive data and feedback from Amferia’s clinical testing across Europe. The joint efforts will aim to market the products under the brand Snögg Animal Care from 2024.
Maria Lundman Hedberg, CEO of Orkla Wound Care — “We are excited about our collaboration with Amferia and bringing their innovative products to market under the brand Snögg Animal Care. Amferia's pioneering antimicrobial wound dressing aligns seamlessly with our dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions to veterinarians through our Snögg Animal Care range. This collaboration strengthens our position as a leader in wound care, both for humans and animals.
About Amferia
Amferia's antimicrobial amphiphilic hydrogel kills bacteria, even resistant bacteria without harming the body. The material was developed through several years of research in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology and the first product from this technology platform is a wound-care dressing for dry-to-low exuding wounds. Amferia's innovative, anti-microbial solution can be used on wide-ranging wounds from simple skin injuries, post-operative wounds to chronic wounds and trauma / burn wounds. The WHO predicts that antibiotic-resistant infections, including those from wounds could become one of the leading causes of both illness and death over the next ten years. The material is being investigated for continuous development in several other areas, including sprays for deep wounds, and coatings for implants and a variety of catheters. Read more about the products, team, technology and publications at www.amferia.com
About Orkla Wound Care
Orkla Wound Care has a long tradition of developing, manufacturing and distributing market leading products within wound care and first aid. Orkla Wound Care is a part of the Orkla group, a public listed company on the Norwegian Stock Exchange, known for its active portfolio management targeting fast-growing consumer segments and markets.
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For more information, please contact:
Anand Kumar Rajasekharan, CEO, Amferia AB, anandk@amferia.com, +46 762 981 238.
Maria Lundman Hedberg, CEO, Orkla Wound Care AB, maria.lundman-hedberg@orkla.se, +46 706 398 661
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