Germ Busters: Akita Biosciences Develops a Nasal Spray to Target Airborne Contaminants
The Columbus-based biotech startup evolved the idea of intranasal medication delivery into a product that aims to curb illness.
A new Columbus-affiliated biotech startup hopes its nasal spray can help keep people healthy, particularly during cold and flu season.
Akita Biosciences originated with research on intranasal therapeutics delivery that pivoted during the pandemic, says Alex Revelos, Akita’s Columbus-based co-founder and CEO.
Two Harvard Medical School faculty in Revelos’ network, Jeff Karp and Nitin Joshi, were working on more effective ways to deliver medications for multiple sclerosis when COVID-19 hit. “Like a lot of researchers around the world, Jeff actually got asked to join a group researching solutions, this one at Massachusetts General Hospital. They were like, ‘What do we do if we run out of masks?’ ” Revelos says.
Karp and Joshi turned their nasal spray delivery idea from one that delivers medication to one that provides protection. “It turns out the science is really compelling at this point that your nose is the point of infection for most respiratory infections, and that includes cold, flu, RSV and even COVID,” Revelos says.
Karp and Joshi tested multiple formulations of ingredients already on the FDA’s Inactive Ingredient Database and Generally Recognized as Safe list. They found one that, according to their published data, rapidly neutralized a broad spectrum of viruses and bacteria, including influenza A and B, SARS-CoV-2, RSV, adenovirus, E. coli and K. pneumoniae, which causes bacterial pneumonia; pathogen loads were reduced by more than 99.99 percent, according to the company.
Profi, the resulting product, is meant to be used proactively. The nasal spray forms a thin film that helps block absorption of airborne contaminants and neutralizes them for up to eight hours, Akita says. The spray contains antimicrobial ingredients, is drug free and nonaddictive.
Profi hit the market in October 2023. Revelos says Akita is sticking to online sales initially as a way of testing retail waters, target audiences and brand positioning. The company, whose four founders and a handful of employees work remotely, is eyeing Amazon distribution soon and exploring retail brick and mortar sales, as well.
“One thing that really struck me is that respiratory infections were a top five killer worldwide even before the pandemic,” says Revelos, a biomedical engineer by training. “Speaking with Nitin and Jeff and [co-founder] Christopher Lee, it became clear to me they were on to something, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
The future could hold much more, Revelos says. “We consider ourselves a biotech company focusing on pioneering novel intranasal therapies. We’ve just launched our lead product. We’ve got compelling data outside the prevention realm we’re still working on.”
For many drugs, including biologics and gene therapies, the nose can be a more targeted and effective route of delivery. “Nasal anatomy and physiology are super interesting. It’s a highly vascular area that can be accessed noninvasively. And there is the potential for nose to brain delivery long term, like in afflictions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and traumatic brain injury,” Revelos says.
About Akita Biosciences
CEO: Alex Revelos
Business: Advanced biomaterials for intranasal and transnasal therapeutics
Founded: March 2022
Employees: 4 co-founders, five to 10 employees
Funding to date: WND
Cynthia Bent Findlay is a freelance writer.
This story is from the Winter 2024 issue of Columbus CEO.