RCSI spin-out company Inthelia Therapeutics has been named as an awardee of the international BLUE KNIGHT™ QuickFire Challenge: Next-Generation Preparedness Solutions related to the company’s work on non-antibiotic therapies for sepsis.

BLUE KNIGHT™ is a joint initiative between Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The challenge invited innovators to submit potentially ground-breaking ideas or technologies that aim to enhance preparedness towards future known and unknown disease threats.

Inthelia Therapeutics was recognised for its innovative approach aiming to treat infections by targeting a conserved known host target to which multiple pathogens bind rather than targeting multiple, often evolving, or unknown pathogens.

This approach has the potential to uniquely create rapid responses to breakthrough pathogens to better manage or control future pandemics. The award recognises the potential to develop a biomarker-led treatment for early sepsis, a leading cause of hospital deaths. Inthelia’s innovation may also contribute to combating the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

Inthelia Therapeutics is a spin-out company from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences founded by Professor Steve Kerrigan, RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, and serial entrepreneur, Dr Ivan Coulter.

Professor Steve Kerrigan commented: “Sepsis is a complication caused by the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. Slow diagnosis and over-dependence on antibiotics⁽¹⁾ have resulted in sepsis becoming one of the top three causes of adult hospitalisations and is responsible for half of all hospital deaths globally.⁽²⁾

“Antibiotics fail in many patients with sepsis, increasing risk of death and antimicrobial resistance. With low success rates, we cannot depend on new antibiotics to solve the growing threats of sepsis and antimicrobial resistance. There is an urgent and significant need for more rapid diagnosis and treatment with novel non-antibiotics or patient targeted therapy in emergency departments.

“Inthelia Therapeutics is advancing an innovative biomarker-guided, host-targeted therapy towards late-stage clinical trials in early sepsis which has as a goal to have immeasurable impact on human lives especially with the rapid advancement of anti-microbial resistance.  We are honoured to be recognised as a Blue Knight QuickFire Challenge awardee for our work to address this significant threat to human health.”

Professor Fergal O’Brien, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at RCSI, commented: “Congratulations to Professor Steve Kerrigan and the team at Inthelia Therapeutics on their success at the prestigious Blue Knight QuickFire Challenge. This recognition of the work of an RCSI spin-out company on the international stage we feel is a testament to the world-class research at the RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences which is being advanced by Inthelia Therapeutics, and will potentially benefit the 49 million people who are impacted by sepsis annually.”

Research that has led to the development of the drug and the new biomarker was funded by Science Foundation Ireland, Irish Research council and Enterprise Ireland. An Enterprise Ireland client company, Inthelia Therapeutics was formed to commercialise patented technology developed under funded research programmes at RCSI.

Deirdre Glenn, Lifesciences, Enterprise Ireland, said: “I would like to congratulate Inthelia Therapeutics on this highly significant award, which we feel further builds on Ireland’s strong international reputation for excellence and innovation in clinical research and healthcare. Enterprise Ireland has worked with Professor Kerrigan and his team, supporting the development of their unique technology through our commercialisation fund. Today’s announcement highlights the importance of early-stage support in translating deep tech innovation from third level research into investment ready start-ups and we look forward to working with the company in the future as they continue on their growth journey.”

The QuickFire challenge awardees were announced at the 2022 BARDA Industry Day with other awardees being Immunyx, NanoFreeze, and Vaxess Technologies. To help advance their science, the awardees will receive access to the global Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS network through Blue Knight residency with mentorship from experts across the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies and BARDA.

The QuickFire Challenges are managed by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, with the goal to help address today’s greatest healthcare challenges.

RCSI partners with investors and entrepreneurs to support spin-out company creation and drive improvements in human health.

_{Sources:
(1)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24649786
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731864 – Over 50% of bacterial strains (E. coli Klebsiella and Staphylococcus) taken from ICU septic patients were resistant to six of the most frequently used antibiotics
(2)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29121281 – Hospital mortality rate with septic shock is 55.5%
https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/334216/9789240010789-eng.pdf  – WHO Global report says 42% of ICU deaths related to sepsis
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.915224/full – Sepsis mortality for major organs (abdominal pulmonary renal) is >50%
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7381468 – ICU related sepsis mortality is 42%
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1873131 – Sepsis causes 30-50% of hospital deaths
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2724768 – Sepsis was the immediate cause of death in 35% of patients but sepsis was also present in 46% of patients with other comorbidities but was not listed as cause of death. Nearly half of hospital deaths are sepsis related but no means to identify or prevent them all.}