Solving global medical challenges in Lofoten

'This is a global threat, and ACD Pharma's work represents innovation on an international scale. No one else in the world is doing what they do,' says our senior adviser Randi Moland.

The global threat she is referring to is antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Several million people already die every year as a result of bacteria that have developed resistance. It is also a growing problem in agriculture and aquaculture.

ACD Pharma is working on one part of the solution: bacteriophages. Bacteriophages are viruses that specifically infect bacteria. They are part of nature's own defence mechanism and occur naturally in every environment on the planet. They are host-specific and attack only a particular bacterial species or strain.

In 2018, ACD Pharma launched CUSTUS, the world's first bacteriophage product for the aquaculture industry. CUSTUS targets the highly prevalent Yersinia bacterium, which causes disease in salmon. Outbreaks are particularly likely when the fish are exposed to stress, such as during vaccination, transport or delousing.

'CUSTUS was initially developed as a proof of concept for the idea of using bacteriophages. Demand was relatively low in 2018, but since then, the aquaculture industry has faced major challenges with the bacterium. Over time, it has evolved, making existing vaccines less effective,' says Simon Brink, COO of ACD Pharma.

As a result, demand for the world's first bacteriophage product has soared.

ACD Pharma is now building the world's first pharmaceutical-approved bacteriophage factory in Leknes, Lofoten. Here, the company will continue developing more bacteriophage products, including for use in humans.

‘This is an old technology that was discovered before antibiotics were invented, but it has never been produced in this way before. There is no ready-made design for the factory and production lines – everything has to be developed from scratch. It is a major and costly undertaking, so our support has been extremely important,’ says Brink.

Our Nordland office has been part of the journey since 2016, and the company has received environmental technology grants, innovation grants and regional investment grants. Brink says they have greatly valued having our Nordland office as part of the team.

­– The financial support has made a significant difference, but what has truly been invaluable is having Innovation Norway as an adviser and partner. Without their support, it would have been almost impossible to get where we are today.

– The potential here is enormous. This is a very exciting project led by a serious and impressive company. Norway has a real opportunity to establish a strong position and become a world leader, says Senior Adviser Moland.

She also highlights the value this will bring to the local community in Leknes, where the company is already headquartered. She believes ACD Pharma's decision to locate the factory in the small town will create positive ripple effects for jobs and suppliers – not to mention the expertise it will attract to the area.

In addition to producing bacteriophages, ACD will design the factory so that it can also produce vaccines in the event of another pandemic.

'During the COVID-19 pandemic, we did not have facilities in Norway that could produce vaccines quickly. Having a facility approved to produce vaccines when needed will be highly valuable to both society and the company,' says Moland.